Dark Angel
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: In another attempt to get hybrid Selina on his side, Klaus partners with a resurrected Lucy Stensrund, who knows all of Selina's dark secrets and is more than willing to share them. Klaus/Selina, Stefan/Elena, Tyler/Caroline. Now rated M for sexiness.
1. Lucy's Return

Disclaimer: Only original characters and situations belong to me!

"_Doctor Roger Stensrund, the man who made off with the Lady in Red, Selina Warren, had a daughter. Her mother had died shortly after her birth and Doctor Stensrund had named the tiny, raven-haired girl Lucy. As she grew older, Doctor Stensrund discovered much to his delight that young Lucy had a fascination with the field of medicine, and at the appropriate age, sent her off to nurse's training. Afterward, the two of them worked the battlefields for years, until Doctor Stensrund died from a bout with influenza and then later, Lucy herself died of old age. The pair kept to themselves mostly, but had notable relationships with two people: Matthew Warren, a soldier that Doctor Stensrund had helped deliver from the brink of death, and of course, his daughter, Selina-"_

Alistair stopped reading, snapped the book shut and looked up at Klaus. "They talk about Selina in this book," he said.

Klaus looked over at him. "So?" He said. "What would possess you to bring that up?"

Alistair smiled. "This book could help us. This could be the second chance we've been looking for!"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Everyone in that story, with the exception of Selina is dead," he said. "They can't be of any help to us."

Alistair put the book down, got out of his chair, and came next to the table where Klaus was sitting to look over his shoulder. "There's really no point in keeping me alive all this time if you're not going to let me do anything," he said. "I pulled that dagger out of you to give you a second chance to do what you need to do and you aren't even taking it." He paused. "Is it because Selina's nearly as powerful as you, hates you, and is going to resist if you try and proposition her again?"

Klaus looked up. "I'm going to try again, don't mistake me. We just need to come up with the perfect plan."

"And I have," Alistair said, picking up the book. "It's in here."

"All right," Klaus said, standing up. "What's your plan?"

Alistair began to flip through the pages of the book until he came to the section of photos. He held up the book to display photos of a man and a woman. "Do these two people look familiar to you?"

Klaus studied them. "Yes," he said slowly. "Those are the people that Elijah brought to the anniversary party, the ones he tried to pass off as Selina's parents."

"Actually," Alistair said, they _are_ Selina's parents. In real life. And apparently, they're vampires."

"What?" Klaus asked. "Are you serious?"

"Yep," Alistair nodded.

"So this plan of yours," Klaus said, "does it have to do with Selina's parents?"

Alistair shook his head. "No." He flipped a few more pages and held the book up again. "It has to do with _her_."

Klaus looked at the picture and his eyes widened a fraction. It showed a pretty, fair-skinned youg woman with hair and eyes that were a great contrast to her complexion. "Is that Lucy Stensrund? She's very pretty."

Alistair nodded. "And apparently, very deadly." He rushed upstairs and came back a short time later, clutching two photos of Lucy that had been horriby disfigured, the word "dead" written all over Lucy's face in various colors. "This is Selina's doing," Alistair said. "I was reading some of her recollections while she was here with us, and apparently, Lucy didn't die of old age. She was a vampire just like her father, she was the one who caused Selina's father to make the transition, and apparently, she appeared back here in Mystic Falls some time ago. Her appearance caused Selina a lot of grief."

"How?" Klaus asked. "I'm intrigued."

Alistair shrugged. "I don't know. We could always ask Lucy herself."

"Do we know where Lucy is?" Klaus asked.

Alistair shook his head. "No, but we know someone who _does_ know where. Selina killed Lucy and she can tell us where she buried the body."

"She can," said Klaus, standing up. "But she won't."

"You have ways of making her do what you want," Alistair said. "Why don't you use them?"

Klaus smiled and put a hand on Alistair's shoulder. "I'm so pleased to see that your attitude has improved," he said. "You were beginning to irritate me with how much you were moping about Andria."

"If it was irritating you, why didn't you just kill me?" Alistair asked. "You know you can."

"Yes," Klaus said. "But that's what you _want_ me to do, so why would I do it?" He paused. "What are we going to do after we find out where Selina put Lucy's body and dig it up?"

"I'm going to call up Lucy's spirit," Alistair said. "Once body and spirit have been joined, we will find out why she caused Selina so much trouble and quite possibly have a new ally."

* * *

><p>"Ahem." At the sound of the voice, Selina looked up from the sandwich she was eating and rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's you," she said as Klaus sat down next to her in one of the white, wrought iron seats in front of the 37th Street cafe. "What do <em>you<em> want?"

"I actually came because I have something to tell you," he said.

"What?" Selina asked tiredly. "What could you possibly want to tell me that would make me actually want to sit here and talk with you?"

"I got a phone call yesterday," he said smoothly. "From a woman named Lucy Stensrund who claims to be a friend of yours."

Selina's eyes widened. She opened her mouth and then quickly shut it, her eyes narrowing. "How stupid do you think I am?" She asked. "I can tell you right now how you thought this conversation was going to go: You would come here, tell me you heard from Lucy, and then I would be so shocked about that that I would reveal to you not only that I killed her, but also where I buried her body so you can dig it up and use it for some nefarious purpose, probably for another plan to get me to help you produce your army of werevamps. Am I right?"

"You're a very smart young woman," Klaus said.

Selina stood up. "Thank you," she said, sticking what was left of her sandwich in a brown paper bag and walking away.

As he watched her go, Klaus' phone rang. "What?" He snapped.

"Wow," Alistair said. "Can I assume from your tone that she didn't tell you where she buried Lucy?"

"No," Klaus said. "Do you have another way?" He growled. "If only I could use force on her, this would be so much easier!"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Alistair said. "Come back to the house and I'll show you."

* * *

><p>"Guys," Selina burst into the boardinghouse and threw her purse down on the dark wood table behind the sofa. "I think we have a problem."<p>

Caroline, Tyler, Elena and Damon looked up at her. "Well, 'hello' to you too," Damon said. "What's the problem?"

"Someone brought Klaus back to life," Selina said. "Someone pulled the dagger out of him. And now he just came by the cafe I was eating at and started asking me questions about where I buried Lucy!"

"Who's Lucy?" Caroline asked. "Why is this a problem?"

"Lucy's the reason Damon had to kill your mother," Selina told her.

"And she also was why Selina attacked Jeremy," Elena added.

"Not to mention the reason why my werewolf gene got activated," Tyler finished.

"Geez," Caroline said. "She did _all that_? Is she a complete lunatic or what?"

Selina nodded ruefully. "That sums her up quite well."

"Who was she really?" Caroline asked.

"She was Doctor Stensrund's daughter," Selina explained. "She worked as the nurse of my father's army unit while he was fighting help the US gain land from Mexico, and she was so taken with him that when he developed typhoid, she turned him into a vampire so they could be together forever. Of course, that's not what _she _told him, but it was the truth. And she came to Mystic Falls shortly after Tyler and Michael killed my father because she wanted to see him again, and then when he wasn't here, she tried to buddy up to me and 'help' me because she didn't feel I was living up to my true potential as a vampire with a werewolf gene."

"So why do you think Klaus wants to bring her back?" Elena asked.

Selina shrugged. "I have no idea. He probably thinks Lucy and I are friends and that she'll be able to convince me to side with him. And she'll be _especially_ intrigued now that I'm a hybrid and all."

"You didn't tell him where you buried her, did you?" Tyler asked.

Selina shook her head. "Of course not. What do you think I am, stupid or something?"

* * *

><p>"You lied to us, you know," Selina said, storming into the old hideout where Elijah was still residing. "You told us you killed Klaus, but he's traipsing around town right now!"<p>

"Klaus is unkillable," Elijah said simply. "I did the best I could."

Selina's jaw fell. "I could kill you," she said. "You promised us that he wouldn't come back!"

"What did he say to you when you saw him?" Elijah asked. "What was your conversation about?"

Selina eyed him resentfully. "I don't know if I want to tell you," she said.

Elijah leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "You came here because you want my help dealing with Klaus," he said. "If you aren't going to tell me what happened, how am I supposed to help you?"

"What does it matter?" Selina said. "You're just going to screw us over again." She turned to head toward the study door, but started when she found Elijah suddenly in front of her, his hand on the door, blocking her way.

"Tell me what you talked about," he said succintly.

"Fine," Selina said. "But you have to promise to actually _do_ something about it this time."

Elijah nodded and they both came back to their places on either side of his desk.

"He asked me about someone I used to know," Selina said. "A vampire named Lucy. Her father was the one who turned me. She came back to this town some time ago and tried to establish some sort of bond between the two of us, probably because she was fond of my father, my father was dead, and I was the closest substitute."

"What kind of relationship did you have with her?" Elijah asked.

"She treated me like a daughter," Selina said. "She worried that I acted too human, and somehow, she found out about my werewolf gene. She got it into her head one full moon that it would be a good idea to let me out of the house and onto the streets so I could experience the thrill of the hunt, or whatever. I ended up attacking Elena's brother Jeremy, killing and robbing a prostitute, and then killing five campers with my cousin Tyler helping me. That led to the activation of his werwolf gene and my subsequent capture, torture and near-staking by Sheriff Forbes."

"Are you serious?" Elijah asked. His expression was carefully controlled, but Selina noticed the tremors in his hands. "This vampire did all that to you and Klaus wants to have contact with her?"

"It won't be easy," Selina said quickly. "Eventually, I was able to kill Lucy and I buried her _far_ from Doctor Stensrund's house. Klaus wanted me to tell him where I buried her, but I didn't." She looked worriedly at Elijah. "You don't think he has any other way to get the information, do you?"

"It's possible," Elijah said. "We must prepare ourselves for any eventuality."

* * *

><p>"So what's your alternate plan?" Klaus asked Alistair. "We have to find out where Selina buried Lucy Stensrund's body."<p>

"Why you didn't just force Selina to tell you I have no idea," Alistair said.

"We have to tread carefully with her," Klaus said. "Much as I would love to take all possible liberties with her in order to get the information we need, she's not just some petty human that can be disposed of afterward. I'm going to have to live with her eventually. And not just for a few days or weeks either."

Alistair nodded. "In that case, we'll have to ask Lucy Stensrund herself. I'll be back in a minute."

He came back with a small mirror which he attached to the wall. He turned off the lights and began chanting. A few minutes later, a dark-haired woman with a sour expression appeared in the mirror. "Who are you?" She asked them. "What do you want?"

"If you're Lucy Stensrund, we want to help you," Alistair said.

The young woman's head inclined slightly. "I _am_ Lucy Stensrund," she said. "How can you help me? _I'm dead."_

Alistair cleared his throat. "If you'll tell us where Selina Warren buried your body after she killed you, we can dig it up and bring it back so you can live again if you'd like to."

Lucy sighed. "Selina Warren. The girl had so much potential. It's a shame she still has her morals. But at least I got one productive evening out of her."

"She's both a werewolf and a vampire now," Alistair said. "And her father is alive again. You want to see Matthew Warren, don't you?"

Lucy smiled, her eyes wide. "Of course I do!" She said. "You aren't lying to me just to get me to come out, are you? Matthew really _is _there?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "I saw him."

"Selina buried my body way at the edge of town," Lucy said. "I bet she figured that if she buried it at the house, someone would find it."

"Thanks for telling us," Alistair said. "We'll go get your body and you'll be one piece again in no time."

"Before you go," Lucy told him, "would you mind getting me out of here? It would be easier to do this if I was actually waiting at your house when you brought my body back, wouldn't it?"

"Yes," Alistair said. He muttered some more and pretty soon, Lucy was standing in front of Klaus. "Well hello," she said, eyeing him interestedly. "_Who_ are _you_?"

He kissed her hand. "You'll find out eventually," he said. "Just let me say for now that I'm a man who is also rueing the fact that Selina isn't living up to her full potential."

Lucy smiled widely. "I think I like you."

"Well," Klaus said as he and Alistair began making their way towards the front of the house, "the feeling is mutual."

* * *

><p>They returned with Lucy's body a few hours later. Lucy eyed the hole where the bit of stair railing had once protrouded from her stomach. "Now what do I do?" She asked Alistair.<p>

"Just close your eyes and step forward. You'll be pulled in once you get close enough," Alistair said.

She stepped toward her body and was sucked in. A few minutes later, her eyes opened and she gave Alistair her hand to help pull her up. She took a deep breath and looked around the room, then back at Klaus and Alistair. "So," she said, "what happens next?"


	2. The Prodigal Son

"What happens next," Alistair said, "is that _you_ are going to help us."

Lucy frowned. "Why would I want to help you? What's in it for me?"

"We _told _you that we could get you to see Matthew Warren and we mean it," Alistair said impatiently. "And didn't you say that you wanted Selina to live up to her full potential?"

Lucy nodded. "Of course I do. Especially since you say she's both a vampire _and_ a werewolf now. How did you get that to work out?"

"We'll explain in good time," Alistair said quickly. "Now, would you tell us everything you know about Selina Warren? Any weaknesses we could possibly exploit to bring her over to our side?"

Lucy was looking interested. "Your side?" She asked, her eyebrow quirking. "Are we in the middle of a war or something?"

"No," Alistair said. "Here's what's going on: This," he gestured at Klaus, "is Lord Niklaus von Richter. He has an interest in Selina and as he said earlier, would love to help her reach her full hybrid potential."

"Okay," Lucy nodded. "Can't believe he actually walks around with a name like that, but it's good enough for now."

Klaus cleared his throat. "Niklaus is the name my father gave me. Please, call me Klaus."

Lucy nodded. "All right, Klaus it is then." She peered at Alistair. "And what do I call you?"

"This is Alistair," Klaus said. "He's my warlock/man-in-the-know."

"That's how you knew to call me up," Lucy said.

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "Now that introductions have been made, could we move to the business at hand, please?"

"Of course," Lucy nodded. "What is it that you need to know about Selina?"

"Well, like we said, Selina is both a vampire and a werewolf now," Alistair said. "And so is Klaus."

"I would like to-" Klaus paused. "I'm not certain what the most proper phrasing would be-"

"Oh, come on," Lucy scoffed. "You don't have to equivocate with me. I'm not some delicate flower. Do you want to marry Selina so that the two of you can spawn a hybrid race that will rule the world?"

Klaus grinned widely. "That's _exactly _what I would like to do; you are very perceptive."

"Uh huh," Lucy nodded, brushing some of her black hair out of her eyes. "And is Selina not being cooperative?"

Klaus shook his head. "Not particularly."

Lucy shrugged. "So what's the problem? Just spirit her away and do what you have to do."

"That's what I keep saying, but he has other ideas," Alistair said.

"I can't be too harsh with her," Klaus said. "Because remember, once we mate, I'm going to have to live with her for who knows how long."

Lucy's lip curled. "Once you _mate_? Good God."

_"Anyway,"_ Alistair broke in, "back to the subject at hand. "Selina and her weaknesses. Anything we should know that we could use against her to make her side with us?"

"Let me think," Lucy said. She paced for a minute, then turned around quickly. "I've got it," she said brightly. "The two of you don't know about Joshua, do you?"

"No," Klaus frowned. "Who is Joshua?"

A slow smile spread over Lucy's face. "He's Selina's son," she said. "And I happen to know for a fact that Selina wanted him to live a normal human life, which he did. He died in '39-1939, I mean, but I figure since you brought me back, you could resurrect him too, right?"

"Of course," Alistair nodded. "But it might take a little more time to make him whole again since he's been dead so much longer than you. And he died human?"

"Yes," Lucy nodded. "Think of what you could do with that! You could threaten to kill him completely, you could turn him into a vampire, or you could make him kill someone. Then _his _werewolf gene will be activated at the next full moon." She rubbed her hands. "Oh, the possibilities. And Selina would do _anything_ to stop it all from happening."

"Indeed," Klaus said. "You know, you've been very helpful. Would you like to go see Matthew Warren now?"

"Yes," Lucy nodded. "Yes I would."

* * *

><p>"Are you all right?" Damon asked. He and Selina were in bathing suits lounging on deck chairs on the back porch. "You seem nervous. What can I do to make it better?"<p>

Selina shifted. "It's nothing really. I'm just worried about Klaus finding Lucy. I don't know if I can deal with her coming back; you remember what she made me do last time she was here!"

"Yes," Damon nodded. "But then you ran her through with a stair railing and all was right with the world. I have complete confidence that if she comes back, you'll be able to handle it. And if you can't do it by yourself, everyone else is willing to help you." He took her hand. "It's going to be all right, so will you stop worrying and smile for me?"

Selina managed a small smile. "Everything will be all right," she said shakily. "I believe that." She sat up and threw her legs off the side of the deck chair, standing up. "I'm going to go inside for a drink. Want me to bring you out anything?"

"No," he shook his head. "I'm all right."

Selina nodded and headed back into the boardinghouse, starting when she saw Elena sitting on the sofa. "What's this I hear about Lucy being back?" Elena asked.

"She's not back," Selina said. "At least not officially. But Klaus wants to use her in yet another attempt to bring me over to the dark side, so when I was at lunch earlier today, he showed up and asked me where I buried her." She scoffed. "Like I would just tell the most evil being on the planet the exact information he needs to know to get me to help him take over the world."

"But I take it you're worried he could find out Lucy's burial spot another way?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I saw Elijah and he said, and I quote, 'we must prepare ourselves for any eventuality'."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Well that's a lot of help!"

Selina nodded. "I know," she said before heading into the kitchen and emerging a few minutes later clutching a sweaty Coke can. "Damon and I are getting some sun out back. Want to grab a drink and come outside with me?"

Elena shrugged. "I don't know; does that still work when you're a vampire?"

Selina smiled. "I don't think so; but at least it's warm."

Elena nodded. "Sure, I'll come."

* * *

><p>"Look who I found hanging out inside on such a nice day," Selina said as she and Elena headed outside.<p>

"Good timing," Damon said. "Selina's been a little worried lately and you're just the person to cheer her up!"

Elena nodded. "She told me about Klaus wanting to find Lucy so he could get her on his side."

"Well, it's not so much him finding Lucy that worries me," Selina said. "I know he's going to somehow. It's not knowing what he's going to do once he _does _find her that worries me. I mean, the woman knew me like my entire human life. And when she came back here, she found out about the werewolf gene and got me to kill six people and screw up two more even though I didn't kill them-"

"It might have been less than six," Elena said.

"Who cares?" Selina said. "The point is, under her influence, I killed people. After I accused her of killing my mother, she told me that one way or another, she was going to bring out my true nature. When I killed her, I felt a sense of relief because the threat was gone, but now it's looming. I don't want to kill anyone ever again, at least not unknowingly because sometimes you have to do what you have to do, but-"

"We get it," Elena broke in gently. "You don't need to elaborate anymore."

Selina nodded. "Thank you," she said.

* * *

><p>That night, after Stefan and Elena had gone out to dinner, the doorbell rang. Selina was the only one close enough to go answer it, but when she opened the door and saw who was on the other side, she groaned. "You're back, Mama," she said flatly. "What can I do for you now?"<p>

"You don't have to act so happy to see me," Amelia said, stepping inside.

"Mama, it's the third time this week you've come over," Selina said tiredly. "What do you need now?"

Amelia looked around. "I came by because I wondered if you wanted to do something with me," she said. "Your father told me he wanted to meet a friend for dinner tonight, so I don't have anything to do with myself, and if I'm not mistaken, you're alone here too-"

"Wait," Selina said quickly. "Daddy went out with somebody tonight and he didn't want to bring you along?"

"He didn't say that I couldn't come along, but the person he was seeing was an old friend he hadn't been around in awhile, so I figured I'd leave them alone to catch up."

Selina smirked. "Did you ask him about his 'friend'?" She asked. "I don't think you did, otherwise you would have _demanded_ to go with them."

Amelia's face fell. "Why?" she asked. "Selina Amelia Elizabeth, what do you know that I don't?"

Selina cleared her throat. "The person Daddy is meeting is the woman who turned him into a vampire," she said. "She's had a crush on him forever and when she came back to town awhile back, she exploited my werewolf gene and made me kill a whole bunch of people."

"Well," Amelia stood up. "The only thing to do now is nip this in the bud. I won't have your father associating with that kind of woman."

"Damn right we won't," Selina said, getting up to follow her. Amelia turned around to face her and frowned. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'I'll be glad to help you get Daddy away from that woman'," Selina told her sheepishly. Amelia just nodded and she and Selina marched out to her car.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the restaurant twenty minutes later. Selina looked at the sign appreciatively. "<em>Le Jardin<em>," she said. "Wow, Daddy must've really wanted to show her a good time."

"You're not helping," Amelia snapped. "Just get out of the car and get inside as discreetly as possible." Selina nodded and they both stalked up the front walkway and into the restaurant.

"What can I do for you ladies?" Asked the host. "Do you have a reservation?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "But my father did, under the name Warren. He came in here earlier with tiny black-haired woman, very pretty. There's been a family emergency and we need to get into the main room to give my father the bad news."

The waiter hiked up an eyebrow. "I doubt that the young man who made reservations under the name 'Warren' is your father. He looks scarcely older than you."

Amelia elbowed Selina in the ribs which made her wince. "What my sister means to say," she said smoothly, is that we're looking for our _brother_, not our father. The two just look so much alike that sometimes she gets them confused. So can we see him? Please?"

"It's really an emergency?" Asked the host, still eyeing them suspiciously.

"Yes," Amelia and Selina said at the same time.

Sighing, the host came around the front desk and led them into the dining room, stopping in front of the table where Matthew and Lucy were eating. "Pardon me," he said to Matthew. "These two young ladies claim to be sisters of yours and wish to tell you some bad news."

Matthew looked up and when he saw Selina and Amelia standing next to the host, he began choking on his dinner. The host whacked him on the back and he was able to get a breath. "Thank you," he said, coughing. The host left and Matthew gazed sheepishly up at his wife and daughter. "Hello," he said.

"Hello," Amelia said, smiling sweetly. "Selina and I decided to come for dinner and we just wanted say hi."

"Well hi," Matthew said.

Amelia pulled chairs from an empty table and sat herself squarely between Lucy and Matthew. Selina took a seat on her father's other side. "This is cozy," Amelia said. Then she turned to Lucy. "Hi," she said. "I'm Amelia Warren, Matthew's wife. I don't believe we've met."

"Lucy Stensrund," Lucy said. "I've heard so much about you, I feel like I know you already."

"And you already know our daughter Selina?" Amelia asked.

"Yes," Lucy nodded. "I've had the pleasure of meeting her. "And we _have_ met. It just hasn't been for awhile. Remember when Selina was a baby and you'd leave her in my father's care whenever you had to go out of state to visit relatives?"

"Oh, yes," Amelia said, recognition suddenly dawning. "You were living with him then, weren't you?"

Lucy nodded. "Yes I was."

"Well," Amelia cleared her throat. "It's nice to see you again."

Lucy smiled. "I doubt you really think so, but thanks for saying it anyway."

"What's going on with your mother?" Matthew whispered to Selina. "Because you two _clearly_ didn't just come by for dinner."

"Oh," Selina said. "She's a bit jealous, actually. I might have given Mama the impression that Lucy has feelings for you, so she's trying to head them off."

Matthew burst out laughing. "Selina, don't be ridiculous! Lucy doesn't have romantic feelings for me. Do you honestly believe that she does?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "And she's the devil incarnate, so I'd watch myself if I were you." She reached ove and tapped Amelia on the shoulder. "Let's go, Mama," she said. "We're clearly not going to get anywhere with these two tonight."

* * *

><p>"So how did things go with Matthew?" Alistair asked. "Was it as good as you hoped?"<p>

"Not by a long shot," Lucy said ruefully. "Selina and her mother showed up during dinner and it wrecked everything."

"So you aren't going to feel bad about helping us bring Selina down then?" Klaus asked.

Lucy shook her head resolutely. "Nope. So, let's get in the car and I'll tell you where Joshua is buried."

* * *

><p>They got back with Joshua's body and as Alistair suspected, it took a lot more work before he was ready to undergo the process. They had Lucy talk to Joshua's conjured spirit, looking twenty-one, much younger than he had at the time of his death and he took it quite well. They let him out and he stood in front of his body, gazing at it in wonder. "Why are you letting me come back?" He asked Lucy.<p>

"It's a favor for your mother," Lucy said. "Now just step forward and you'll be alive again before you know it."

He did so, and then Lucy helped him up. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Not bad," Joshua said. "I would like to see my mother now. Where is she?"

Lucy scribbled the boardinghouse address on a piece of paper. "She's at this address. Your father is too. And your uncle. So you're going to have quite the reunion on your hands. Would you like me to drive you there?"

Joshua shook his head. "Thank you, Lucy. But I think I'll be able to figure out the location on my own."

* * *

><p>Just as Selina was getting ready to go up to bed, the front doorbell rang. She opened the door, and screamed when she saw who was on the other side. She collapsed in the front hallway and he wasn't able to catch her before her head hit the floor. Joshua got down on his knees and held her up, her eyes opening just a little. "Joshua?" She whispered.<p>

"Yes," he whispered back. "Hello, Mama."


	3. Family Portrait

Selina's eyes opened more. "How?" she asked weakly. "How did you get here?"

Joshua bit his lip. "Well, I-" he began, but broke off when he heard the footfalls on the stairs. "What's going on?" Damon asked as he came down the stairs. He looked at the bowed brown head of the young man who held onto a semi-conscious Selina. "Who are you?" He asked.

Joshua brought his head up slowly. "Hello, Father," he said, his tone just as quiet as before. Damon breathed in sharply. "What the hell?" He whispered. Then he blinked and came back to himself. "I'll take her," he said, his voice tightly controlled. "You sit in the living room until I figure out what the hell you're doing here."

Joshua nodded and strode off to the living room while Damon carried Selina toward the stairwell. She struggled all the way. "Take me back," she kept saying. "Bring me to the living room, get me a bourbon and I'll be fine. We _both _need to figure out what's going on, not just you."

"You hit your head," Damon said. "And you are _going_ to lie down."

"I thought the way to deal with possible concussions was to keep the person awake so they didn't die," Selina said.

Damon rolled his eyes. "That's a moot point. You can't die from a bump on the head."

"Who the hell cares?" Selina snapped. "Get me into the living room and lay me down on the couch so we can figure out together what is going on with our son!"

Damon sighed and nodded. "At least you're starting to sound more like yourself." He carried Selina into the living room where Joshua sat waiting and put her on the sofa. Then, he sat down next to his son. "So," he said, "I presume you want to start the conversation? Tell us how you happened to get here and why."

Selina cleared her throat, sitting up slowly. "What your father means to say is that we're very glad to see you, but a little surprised too, since you've been dead for over seventy years."

"That was implied," Damon said. "So," he turned back to Joshua. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Well," Joshua stood up. "I'm here because of Lucy. She and some other men brought me back to life."

"Lucy?" Selina said. "Please tell me that you mean someone other than Lucy Stensrund?"

Joshua shook his head. "No, she was the one." He eyed Selina worriedly as her face sank. "What's the matter, Mama?"

"What did Lucy tell you about why she brought you back?" Selina asked.

Joshua shrugged. "She just said that it was supposed to be a nice surprise for you. But I didn't mean to make you pass out, honestly."

"Oh, God," Selina lay back on the couch with her hand to her forehead. "This can't be happening; I can't believe she would sink so low."

"What?" Damon and Joshua asked at the same time.

Selina laughed and then sobered. "Don't you see?" Selina said, looking at Damon. "Klaus and Alistair must have been the other two men that were there with Lucy. She had Joshua brought back as a way to coerce me into-" she suddenly broke off and as Damon watched in amazement, she ran into the kitchen, came back with a frying pan, and then soundly smacked Joshua over the head with it. Staring at his unconscious body, she looked up at Damon. "Take him upstairs," she said. "Put him in a room and lock him in. Make sure he doesn't come out. I'm going to go have a chat with Lucy."

"What?" Damon asked, picking up Joshua's prone body. "What the hell did you have to go knock him out for?"

Selina turned around quickly. "He said Lucy and Alistair brought him back. For all we know, this might not be Joshua at all, but some weird demon thing that looks like him but actually wants to destroy the town so I'll have no choice but to side with Klaus. Do you understand where I'm going with this?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Not really," Damon said, shaking his head.

Selina scoffed. "Oh, who cares? Just get him upstairs and watch him like a hawk."

Damon opened his mouth to ask how her head felt, but then he shut it, sighed, and carried his son's unconscious body to Selina's spare room.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Selina arrived at Doctor Stensrund's house. She parked the car in the street and strode up the driveway to the front door, completely disregarding the fact that it wasn't the time of night when normal people received calls. She grabbed the handle of the front door and wrenched it open, heedless of the protesting hinges, striding purposefully inside. She saw Lucy standing near the stairwell with her back to her. Smiling with satisfaction, Selina took a small stake out of her back pocket and plunged it into Lucy's back. Lucy let out a scream and crumpled to the floor. Selina pulled the stake out and Lucy slowly turned. "Oh," she grinned. "I wondered when you were going to come looking for me."<p>

"Turn back around," Selina said. When Lucy didn't budge, Selina kicked her in the face and placed her hand on Lucy's back so she could plunge the stake in again. "What the hell did you do?" She asked, gritting her teeth. "I found your little surprise on my front doorstep, so what the hell did you do?" Ignoring Lucy's cries of pain, she twisted the small stake that was once again embedded in Lucy's back.

"You found your surprise," Lucy said. She grimaced, struggling against Selina's grip. "Did you like it?"

"What did you do to him?" Selina whispered. "How messed up is he? Did you instruct him to kill us all?"

"No," Lucy hissed. "I didn't do anything to him."

Selina turned the stake once more and as Lucy writhed, Selina heard the voice that made her blood chill. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Selina stopped twisting the stake in Lucy's back and turned to face Klaus, eyes narrowed. "What do _you _want?"

He smiled indulgently, coming to kneel behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "My darling, I believe the question is what do _you_ want? Seeing what you're doing and the enthusiasm with which you're doing it arouses my curiosity."

Selina rolled her eyes and stood up. "I bet it arouses other things too."

When her back was turned, Klaus grinned. "So," he said once he'd recovered himself. "Why are you here?"

Selina narrowed her eyes at Lucy who was still crumpled on the floor. "Ask _her_," she said.

Klaus stood up, grabbed Lucy by the back of her dress and hauled her upright, pulling the stake out and throwing it to the ground. "What's happened, Lucy?" he asked.

Lucy was breathing hard now. "She-she saw Joshua," she breathed.

Selina picked up the stake from floor and turned it over in her hand. "Yes," she said, eyeing the stake and then Lucy. "And I would love nothing more than to kill her."

"Well be my guest," Klaus said matter-of-factly. "No one's stopping you."

Selina nodded and this time, she plunged the stake into Lucy's stomach. As she pulled it out and brought her arm back to plunge it in again, she felt arms go around her, slowly turning her. Klaus began to run his hands over her body and unbuttoned her blouse as his mouth captured hers. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Then, as he was slipping off her shirt, she brought her fist squarly into his stomach. He doubled over just long enough for her to aim another couple of right hooks at his nose and right eye. He growled and put his hands around her neck. She, however, smiled serenly back at him.

"I know you hate me right now," she said. "And that you want to kill me. But you know you can't because you need me too much. And _I_ know that you know you can't because you need me too much. It's quite a conundrum you find yourself in, isn't it?" She looked at him and winced. "You might want to go get that face of yours healed up, otherwise there'll be some nasty marks."

Grudgingly, he let her go and then she strode back over to Lucy. "So Joshua is normal? Not possessed by anything?"

"No, he's fine." Lucy's voice was still weak.

"Good," Selina said before striding out of the house and back to her car.

* * *

><p>"So what did Lucy say?" Damon asked when he met Selina at the door.<p>

"She said he's fine. Did _you_ notice anything odd?" Selina asked.

"No," Damon shook his head. "The boy's got an amazing constitution. About ten minutes after you left, he opened his eyes and started talking to me."

"Let me guess," Selina said. "His first question was 'why doesn't Mama love me?'"

"He wanted to know what he'd done wrong, that's for sure," Damon said.

"Maybe I should go and explain to him," Selina said.

"No," Damon shook his head and steered her toward their bedroom. "What you need to do is go to bed. You've had quite a night."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Selina and Damon were awakened by a knock at their bedroom door. "Who is it?" Selina asked sleepily. "I don't think it's a school day, so it can't be Stefan."<p>

The voice issued from the other side of the door. "Mother? Father? Are you up? When it's convenient, I would like to have a word."

"Give us ten minutes and then meet us in the kitchen," Damon called back.

"So I wasn't hallucinating when I saw Joshua last night?" Selina asked.

"Nope," Damon said. "He's here and alive and well despite the clobbering you gave him with that frying pan."

"Yeah," Selina grinned sheepishly. "But was I wrong to be suspicious based on my past interactions with Lucy?" She fished a bathrobe out of her side of the closet and slipped it on.

"No, you were right to be suspicious," Damon said. "But couldn't you have dealt with your suspicions in a less painful manner?"

"Possibly," Selina nodded. "But you know I always act first and think later. It's what we have in common." She eyed him. "We should probably get downstairs."

* * *

><p>They found Joshua in the kitchen. "How did you sleep?" Selina asked him.<p>

"Very soundly, thank you," Joshua said.

Selina nodded. "Listen," she said. "I'm sorry I brained you with the frying pan. It's just that I've had some unpleasant experiences with Lucy in the past and when you said she'd sent you when previously you've been dead, I became concerned that you were a demonic being in the guise of my son. But I went and saw Lucy and she says you're fine, so I'll choose to believe her this time."

"What kind of unpleasant experiences?" Joshua asked, eyeing her keenly.

"Well," Selina hesitated. "What do you know about my mother's family?"

Joshua frowned. "Everything I should. Have I been left out of something?"

"Did you know that they're werewolves?" asked Damon.

Joshua's eyes widened. "Are you certain about that?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Every person who has Lockwood blood in them also has the potential to become a werewolf; it's hereditery, you see. I got the gene from my mother, and you got it from me."

"So I'm a werewolf?" Joshua asked, standing up quickly.

"No," Selina said quickly. "Honey, don't worry. Unless you've killed someone, you're not a werewolf. The gene only activates on the full moon after you kill somebody."

"And I never have," Joshua said.

"Good for you," Selina told him. "I'm proud."

"But what does this have to do with you and Lucy?" Joshua asked.

"Well," Selina began, "Lucy's always felt that I'm not living up to my vampire potential, so she let me out of the house one full moon and I killed several people and made your cousin Tyler transform."

"You _did_?" Joshua asked, looking amazed.

"Yep," Selina nodded. "And Lucy has allied herself with two men, both of whom are very evil. The dark haired one is a warlock and the blond one is the oldest vampire in the history of time. Or one of them anyway. And thanks to infidelity on his mother's part, he's a vampire with the werewolf gene."

"You mean like you?" Joshua asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Just like me. He's incredibly power hungry and little while ago, he did this ritual that made it possible for him to be both a vampire _and _a werewolf at the same time. And he brought me along for the ride."

"Why?" Joshua asked.

"So she can help him with procreating a race of supermonsters," Damon said. "But so far, your mother's done a very good job of resisting him."

Joshua nodded. "I'll be on my guard," he said. "So, do you two live on your own here, or-"

He was cut off by a soft "Oh, my God."

"Morning Stefan," Selina said smiling. "And Elena. What do you two want for breakfast?"

Stefan said nothing but came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Am I seeing two of Damon, or am I just hallucinating?"

"Neither" Selina told him, standing up. "Here, have my seat. I'll go get you a drink and explain who our guest is."

She came back with a full glass and set it down in front of Stefan. Then, she looked over at Joshua. "I think the best way to do this would be to have you take that pin off your lapel and give it to him," Selina said, gesturing at Stefan. Joshua did as he was told and placed the pin in his uncle's hand. Stefan opened it and he and Elena gasped when they saw what was inside.

"I thought father gave this to Joshua to remember you two by," he said, looking dumbly at Selina.

"He did," Joshua said. "Hello, Uncle Stefan." He looked at Elena. "And I'm afraid I don't recognize you."

Elena smiled. "It's all right; you wouldn't have any reason to. I'm Elena Gilbert."

Joshua smiled. "Your ancestor Johnathan was very good to me."

"Stefan?" Selina asked. "Are you all right?" Stefan looked up from the picture and nodded. "Yes, it's just a bit of a shock."

"I made Mother pass out last night," Joshua said. "Lucy Stensrund brought me back and Mama thinks she's up to something."

"I don't think," Selina shook her head. "I _know."_

"Well anyway," Stefan smiled, handing the pin back. "It's nice to finally meet you, Joshua." He stuck his hand out and they shook.

"Joshua, can I ask you something?" Damon asked.

Joshua noddded. "Of course."

"How did you know where this place was?"

Joshua cleared his throat and looked at Selina. "Should I tell him?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "But get the photo albums first; they should still be in the attic."

Joshua hurried away and returned with an armload of old books and folders. He pulled out the first one, made of brown leather and opened it. It was a photo album and on the first page was a picture of Joshua and his wife on their wedding day, Christmas, 1886. "My wife's name was Emma," he told Damon. "We had four kids: Diana, called Annie, Joseph, called Joey, Luke, and Charlotte, called Lottie. And we moved into this house in 1900."

Damon looked up at Selina. "Why is none of this surprising you?"

"Because," Selina said, "I was there. I saw it all happen."


	4. Skipped My Pride

"Of course you were there," Damon said. "You were at Doctor Stensrund's moping about being alone. That's what you've always told me."

"Actually," Selina grinned and patted him on the arm. "I only told you that to spare your feelings. It would be entirely out of character for me to spend my days languishing in rotting house by myself, moaning and crying about the one that got away. Hell, not only would it be out of character, it would make me a freaking stereotype!"

"It would make you your mother," Elena put in.

"_Exactly," _Selina said. "It would have made me exactly like my mother and there was no chance of _that_ happening. I moved on and lived the life of a war widow: keeping my husband's memory alive while taking solace in my child."

Damon shook his head. "Those are very pretty words, but I wasn't dead."

Selina sucked in a breath. "For all the contact we had, you might as well have been!"

"Could we change the subject please?" Joshua asked, squirming a little.

"Sure," Selina nodded. "I'm sorry, Joshua. Anyway, as you know, or in case you don't, the first time I saw Joshua was Halloween, 1883. Two years later I saw him again and that time, he wasn't alone."

"You brought somebody _with_ you to see your mother?" Stefan asked Joshua, looking amazed. "That was brave."

"It was Emma," Joshua said. "I wanted to marry her and I figured that it wouldn't be proper unless I had Mama's approval first. I explained the circumstances and Emma took it surprisingly well."

"This Emma you married," Damon asked. "Who was she?"

"Sarah Brennan's daughter," Selina said. "Sarah married Tommy Fell's older brother Ethan."

"Wonderful," Damon said. "Sarah was one of the few girls your mother considered intelligent enough to befriend."

"Is that so?" Joshua asked, looking at Selina with interest. "That must've been why Sarah was so eager to hear about you."

"Sarah asked about me?" Selina said with some surprise.

"Yes," Joshua nodded. "She did. But back to the story: I brought Emma to meet Mama. They got along."

"She was very sweet," Selina said.

"Then, Emma and I married, like I said, in 1886," Joshua continued.

"And your mother was there," Damon said.

"Yes," Joshua nodded.

"I saw every second of it," Selina said. "They had it in the backyard of the old estate, the same place where we probably would have gotten married."

"Yeah," Damon nodded. He looked as if he were somewhere else.

"And after everything was over, I asked Mama a favor," Joshua said.

"Yeah?" Damon asked. "And what was that?"

"That she wouldn't give up looking for you," Joshua told him. "By that time I was already aware of the circumstances of my conception and your separation, and I knew that since I was married, I'd be having children soon and I wanted them to get to know both of their-"

"Watch how you finish that sentence, young man." Selina said warningly.

"-both of my parents," Joshua finished.

Damon looked at Selina. "And what did _you _say when he asked that favor of you?"

"Well," Selina ran her tongue over her top lip. "I told him I'd do my best, but I didn't have much hope of finding you again."

"Ah," Damon nodded. "Well, you were a long time coming. What happened?"

"I waited to look for you because I knew I'd end up finding you like I found you," Selina said.

"It wasn't that bad," Damon said.

"Not. That. Bad?" Selina asked incredulously. "I found you and you were drunk off your ass. And I bet I could count into the double digits the numble of simple-minded floozies you'd called up!"

"Maybe we should change the subject again," Stefan said quickly.

"No," Selina shook her head. "You need to hear this."

* * *

><p>"<em>Around 1930, after I got back from Europe and back into cold, harsh, Depression Era-Reality, I remembered the promise I made to Joshua. I looked everywhere around town, but no sign of Damon. Finally, one day I decided to go see a movie and guess who's face was on the poster in the front lobby. That's right, Damon's!"<em>

"What?" Elena interrupted, looking at Damon. "When were you in the movies?"

"It wasn't for very long, about five or six years," Damon said. "And then I faked my death at the height of my fame and showed the world that film was a very powerful and influential medium."

"Well aren't you special?" Selina said dryly.

"Lots of people seemed to think so," Damon nodded. "You excepted of course."

"Well, I didn't see you at your best, did I?" Selina said dismissively.

"What happened after you saw Damon in the movie?" Elena asked.

"I ran into some girls who were members of the Virginia chapter of his fan club and we got on a train headed to California. When we arrived at his house, a very elegantly decorated place, they just wanted to hide in the bushes and wait for him to come out, but I got inside."

"How?" Damon asked. "I gave my butler strict rules about who to let in and out."

"You compelled your butler not to let Selina into the house?" Elena asked. "That's cold."

"Well you have to remember, that's when I still thought that she'd cheated on me with Doctor Stensrund. Given the circumstances, I had every right to be upset." Damon said defensively.

"So," Selina continued: "_I got inside the house. I probably could have gotten in without compelling anyone. I looked presentable enough; rose colored trench and matching cloche hat with a rose print dress underneath, and I had a plan to pass myself off as a journalist if I ran into anyone difficult. I found him in his bedroom with his little entourage, probably five or six incredibly dumb looking women, three blondes, three brunettes, hanging all over him like monkeys on a tree at the zoo. I shoved them all out and got down to business._

_"Damon? Do you know who I am?" I asked. He said nothing but just looked at me, his gaze going in and out of focus. Then, he got up and ambled over to dresser where my picture sat."_

"You mean the picture you gave him before he left for the war?" Joshua asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded.

"If you were mad at her," Joshua asked Damon, "why did you keep her picture around?"

Damon shrugged. "Maybe because it helped me remember who she was rather than the person I thought she'd become and that was a comfort to me."

"When he saw me," Selina said, "he grabbed the picture, stared at it, and then gulped down the rest of a half-drunk bottle of whisky that was on the dresser. Then, he threw the bottle down and it smashed all over the Persian rug.I thought it was to scare me. I stared at the bottle shards for a minute before he finally found the words to ask why I'd come."

_"Why did you come?" he asked, wiping away some of the whiskey that was dripping down his chin. His eyes were bloodshot, his white undershirt was stained, and his hair was covered with sweat. "Were you so lonely that you swallowed your pride and came to see me?"_

_"No," I said, my upper lip twitching. "I didn't come for you. I came as a favor for somebody else."_

_At that, he burst out laughing. "Don't lie to me, Lina. You want me, I can see it in your eyes."_

_"Those girls that were just here," I said, "they only like you because you have money and fame. They don't want you for you. And from the looks of you, I don't blame them. You're a mess! You and this whole room smell like alcohol, sweat and cheap cologne." I went over to the picture next and picked it up again. "From the looks of this, it's not me who's lonely. Why can't you just admit that you made a mistake?"_

_"Because I didn't make a mistake," he said. "You're the one who cheated on me and left. Doesn't the idea of commitment or your responsibilities mean _anything _to you?"_

"_Oh, please," I scoffed. "You're a war deserter and you're lecturing me about responsibilities and commitment?" I'd gone too far. He brought up his hand to hit me, but I grabbed his wrist before his hand made contact with my face. "I'm going to leave," I said. "I can't look at you like this anymore. You disgust me."_

_"Fine," he said. "Go. But you'll be back."_

_I reached the door and put my hand on the handle, then I turned. "I almost forgot why I came here. It was because I wanted to give you a message from someone. But now I don't know if I should, because I doubt you'd care." I left the house and went back to my hotel. I sat awake all night, trying to remind myself that I was a strong, independent woman and didn't need a man to make myself feel complete. But it just didn't work. And I went back to him._

_He knew that I would be coming and was waiting for me at the door. He'd cleaned up and was wearing silk lounging pajamas this time and smoking a cigarette. "I knew you'd come back," he said._

_I glared at him. "You know what? Don't flatter yourself. I'm long overdue."_

_He just grinned and led me to his bedroom. "Whatever you need to tell yourself so that you feel better."_

"Wow," Elena said. "So you saw each other in the thirties, but all you did was fight and sleep together?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I forced myself to not think about it afterward. It wasn't one of my prouder moments."

"And just what was so bad about it?" Damon asked. "I wasn't some sleazy gigolo you were paying for favors. We had a fight and worked it out. I don't uderstand why you left the next day."

"Because I wasn't ready to talk things out yet and neither were you," Selina said sharply. "But physical reactions don't require thought. Sex and conflict resolution are not the same thing."

Damon opened his mouth to respond, but then the phone rang. "I'll go get it," Joshua cried and sprinted out of the living room.

"Geez," Selina watched him go. "I've never seen a kid run so fast."

"Well," Elena said, "How do _you_ feel when _you_ have to listen to your parents talk about having sex?"

"Really awkward," Selina said.

Joshua came back a few minutes later, clutching the phone. "I think it's your mother," he said. "She asked for you, and when I said you were busy at the moment, she starting going on and on about how you were avoiding her. And she says she's coming over."

_"_Good," Selina said, taking the phone from him. "If she brings my father, you'll be able to meet _both _my parents."

* * *

><p>Selina stationed Joshua at the front door so that when her mother showed up, she'd see him first off. She and Damon stood together and he kept his hand tight on her shoulder so she wouldn't run away. He'd even had to help her dress. In situations like this, taking his eyes off her was a bad idea. The doorbell rang and Joshua opened it. Amelia started when she saw him. "Who are you?" she asked. "You look familiar and you don't."<p>

Selina freed herself from Damon's grip and went behind Joshua to put a hand on his shoulder. "Mama," she said, "this is Damon's and my son Joshua. Your grandson."

Amelia grinned widely. "Is he really?" Then she sobered. "Didn't he die quite awhile ago? He didn't have any run-ins with vampires, did he?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "At least not in the way you're thinking. Lucy and Alistair and Klaus brought him back from the dead so I'd get attached to him and they could use him as leverage to get me to go over to the dark side."

"I hope you won't give him the time of day," Amelia said severely.

Selina shook her head. "I haven't so far."

"Good," Amelia said before turning her gaze back to Joshua. "So," she said. "Tell me a little about yourself."

* * *

><p>While her mother (and eventually her father, Tyler and Caroline) were occupied with Joshua, Selina decided to pay Elijah another visit.<p>

"Hi," she said, standing just inside his study.

"Hello," he said. "What brings you here?"

"More goings on with Klaus, actually," she said. "I might have done something a little while ago that made him more determined then ever to get me."

"Well, what did you do?" Elijah asked. "Did you kill someone?"

"Kind of," Selina said. "The other night, my son showed up on my doorstep. My son who's been dead for over seventy years. I asked him how he came to be alive again and he said it had been Lucy's idea and Klaus was there at his 'rebirth.' I became concerned that they _did _something to my son. That it wasn't really my son at all, but a demon or something in my son's body. So, being the rash person that I am, I drove over to Doctor Stensrund's and confronted Lucy. I all but staked her and Klaus came upon me while I was venting. I was so worked up and angry that I came _this close_ to giving in to him just because I knew he was the one person who would tell me that killing Lucy was okay."

"And before you started hurting Lucy, did she tell you what she and Klaus were planning to do with your son?" Elijah asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I didn't give her time to say anything."

"And that was very unwise, Selina." Elijah said. "You can't let your temper get the better of you."

"I know," Selina said. "But I didn't actually give in to him. And I beat him up. So it ended all right if not perfectly."

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Well, I believe I will have to be personally involved now. Do you remember the first story Klaus told you of the relationship between you and me after he picked you up from the hospital?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "He said you were in love with me and jealous of what he and I had."

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "You need to be watched even closer now, so how about we make that lie the truth? Would that be agreeable to you?"

"By 'truth' you mean like a play we're acting out?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "It's the only way I can think of to keep an eye on both you and your son."

"But what if we can't convince the others?" Selina asked.

He came around the desk, put his arms around her waist and kissed her hard. When he pulled away, he said, "convincing enough?"

Selina looked up at him in awe. "Yep," she said. "I think so."


	5. Animal Attraction

"All right," Selina said, licking her lips. "What do we do now?"

Elijah studied her. "How frequently do you see my brother?" He asked.

Selina shrugged. "It's almost daily now, sometimes more than once a day. He usually stops by when I'm having lunch at the cafe on 37th street and tries to get me into conversation."

"All right," Elijah nodded. "Then that's where we'll go."

* * *

><p>"Could you please tell me what we're trying to accomplish here?" Selina asked him when they were sitting down with coffees. "Are we trying to convince him that we're in some sort of relationship? Because honestly, I don't believe he's going to fall for it."<p>

Elijah sighed. "Of course he's not going to believe it if that's the attitude you have. Were you ever an actress in any of your 146 years?"

Selina shook her head. "Mama thought actually acting was vulgar. She liked watching plays, though."

"Even so," Elijah said, "could you at least pretend for a little while? It's for your own good."

Selina frowned. "You know, I really hate it when people tell me that I should do things 'for my own good'."

Elijah leaned forward. "Well then maybe you _do_ belong with my brother after all. Perhaps I'll leave you to him and send you a card on your anniversary."

"Argh!" Selina growled. "You know, you really aren't being helpful."

"Well," Elijah said, eyeing her critically, "neither are you."

"Here he comes," Selina said, looking off to the side. "Should I pretend that you said something amusing to throw him off?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Just leave the talking to me."

"Well, this is different," Klaus said, taking the empty chair between Selina and Elijah and looking at her. "Usually you come here alone."

"Well what can I say?" Selina shrugged. "I felt like having company today. That's not a crime, is it?"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "I just find it strange that the person you're eating with is my brother. I wasn't aware the two of you were especially close." He looked back and forth at them.

"Well if you must know," Elijah said, taking one of Selina's hands in his while using his other hand to wipe crumbs of dirt from the jacket of his navy suit, "We're much closer than you think."

"Is that so?" Klaus asked, one eyebrow raising. He looked at Selina. "And does your husband know about this?" He asked. "What does _he _think?"

Selina shrugged. "I have no idea. Damon and I have hit a rough patch and your brother was nice enough to give me a place to stay."

"_Really?"_ Klaus said interestedly. Then he stood up, took Selina's free hand, and kissed it. "Well, if you need me for anything," he told her, "Anything at all, don't hesitate to ask." Then he strode off.

As soon as he was gone, Elijah frowned at Selina. "What part of 'let me do the talking' don't you understand?"

"Well he talked to _me _most of the time," Selina said. "It would have looked stupid if I didn't say anything."

"You know that he's just going to come after you more aggressively now that he thinks you and Damon are separated," Elijah said. "What on earth possessed you to say that?"

"I don't know," Selina said breathlessly. She gazed at the spot where Klaus had strode off. "And to tell you the truth, I really don't mind."

* * *

><p>She was beginning to feel strange. Uncomfortable. Discontent. She tried not to fidget because then Elijah would ask her what was wrong and she really couldn't understand it herself. A part of her seemed to be filled with longing...for <em>Klaus.<em> She rolled her eyes. It was sickening, really and she didn't understand it at all because for all intents and purposes, he was evil, and creepy and she hated his guts. But sometimes, the way his hair fell into his _very _blue eyes was so, so alluring, and his smile was...nice, and she _really_ wouldn't mind finding out what he looked like naked...

"No!" she cried out, bringing herself back to reality. She blinked and found herself standing up with Elijah clutching tightly on to her arm. "What happened?" She asked.

"You drifted off and then you looked like you wanted to sprint away, so I thought I'd hold on to you?" he said. "What were you thinking about?"

Selina shook her head. "It's nothing. I saw a scary movie last night and some of the images are still with me. I guess I drifted off a little, huh?"

Elijah nodddd. "Just a little. Do you think we should be getting you back home?"

"Yes, please," Selina said. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>When Elijah met Elena at the boardinghouse door, he said, "ask Selina if something is wrong with her. We were at lunch and we ran into Klaus, and after he left, she starting acting oddly, but she won't tell me what's wrong."<p>

"All right," Elena nodded. "I'll try and get it out of her."

"So," Elena turned to Selina as soon as she shut the door. "You want to tell me what's going on? If Elijah was concerned, you had to have been acting more than a little nutty."

"I just felt a little...sick, that's all," Selina said.

"You're a vampire-werewolf hybrid," Elena said. "You can't be sick."

"If I told you that I was having fantasies about Klaus, _then _would you believe I was sick?" Selina asked.

"What?" Elena asked, her eyes widening. "What do you mean you were having fantasies about Klaus?"

"You know," Selina said, "fantasies. If I could blush right now, I totally would be."

"But you hate him!" Elena burst out. "You think he's twisted and evil and creepy, so why would you want to have sex with him?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know! If Elijah hadn't had a hold of my arm, I would have followed Klaus back to Doctor Stensrund's and who _knows_ what would have happend?"

"So what are you going to do about it?" Elena asked.

"Nothing," Selina said immediately. "I'm going to go on with my life and pretend like the whole incident today never happened."

* * *

><p>That night, Selina felt hot and restless. Every time she shut her eyes, she saw Klaus' face. She'd asked Damon to keep the window open to let some of the cooler air in, but it wasn't helping her get to sleep. With a quite groan of frustration, she slowly got out of bed and put a jacket on over her pajama shirt and sneakers on her feet before she snuck out of the house and drove her car to Doctor Stensrund's. Lucy was the one who answered her knock. "Another nocturnal visit?" She asked, looking at Selina knowingly. "Let me guess: You've come to beat me up again."<p>

"No," Selina shook her head, elbowing Lucy aside and striding into the house. "Where's Klaus? I have to see him."

"He's up in his room," Lucy gestured randomly up at the stairwell. "And oddly enough, I believe he's been expecting you. He said at dinner that you'd probably show up tonight."

Nodding, Selina headed up the stairs, looking at all the doors on the second floor until she found the one that was open just a crack. She opened it the rest of the way and stepped inside. "Lucy said you were expecting me," she said quietly.

"I was indeed," Klaus said, coming to her and placing his hands on either side of her head. "But what's the matter? You look as if you've hardly slept at all."

"I _have_ been a little restless this evening," she admitted. "I haven't been able to sleep. Every time I shut my eyes, I see your face." She paused. "You don't seem at all surprised to see me. Why is that?"

"It's a little difficult to explain now," he said. "But you'll find out eventually." He leaned in and kissed her as he slowly removed her clothes. She kissed him desperately, as if she wanted to devour him. He guided her over to the bed and she felt his hands running up and down her body, and a strange warmth once he moved them away. "I hate you," she murmered breathlessly. "What the hell are you doing to me?"

"You like it, don't you?" He asked her as with one violent thrust, her world splintered into violent ecstasy. She screamed at the release. Her hair and body were covered in sweat. She was breathing hard. Slowly, he backed out of her and sat up. His eye caught a small penknife that was resting on the dresser. With an air of purpose, he got off the bed and strode to the dresser. He grabbed the penknife and slowly ran it over his palm, laughing wildly as the blood spurted and ran over his hand and fingers. Then, he climbed back into the bed and held his bleeding palm out to Selina. "You want this, don't you?" he asked. When he saw her hesitate, he nudged her. "Come on," he said with a wink. "A little won't hurt you."

When she still wouldn't drink, he rubbed it all over his chest. "Lick it off me," was all he said. And finally, slowly, she leaned into him, her tongue lapping up the blood. And when she just couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>When Selina opened her eyes the next morning, her head felt much clearer than it had the night before. "My God," she whispered. "What did I do?"<p>

Klaus turned around slowly and grinned lazily at her. "You don't remeber?" He began nuzzling her neck. "Would you like me to remind you?"

Selina gasped, repulsed, and pushed him away. "My God, I remember what we _did._ I just don't know what the hell would possess me to do it with you." She frowned. "Back before I became a hybrid, my werewolf gene would act up during full moons. I would kill people, be promiscuous, angry. But I had no memory of what I did the next day. At least not right away. I wish I still had that luxury."

He grinned, pushing the blankets aside to give her body a thorough glance. "But my dear," he said, "if you remembered nothing of what you did last night, you'd be doing yourself a great disservice."

"Wow," Selina said sarcastically as she frowned and pulled the blanket back. "I'm surprised you remember what I did at all. You're so in love with yourself I thought for sure you'd be screaming your own name."

He grinned wider. "I didn't need to. You did often enough."

She growled. "I hate you, you know. How the hell did this happen? You did something to me, didn't you? Some sort of weird compulsion because you _know _I'm not going to fall for you any other way."

Klaus shook his head. "I can't compel you. What brought you here last night is nothing I did." He grinned. "I know you want to kill me right now, but here's the thing: you need me. And I know it, even if you don't."

Selina frowned. "What do you mean? I don't need you at all!"

Klaus laughed. "You don't know much about werewolves, do you?"

Selina shook her head. "Not really. But what does _that_ have to do with anything?"

"It has _everything_ to do with it," he said. "Now that your werwolf side is active, it will have a much bigger part of your personality than it did before. And it seems like it's already made one decision for you."

Selina felt her stomach sink. "What decision?"

He laughed. "When werewolves mate, they mate for life, with their own kind. They choose their mate by instinct alone, no real thought required."

"Wow," Selina said dryly. "Pure animal attraction."

"Of course," Klaus nodded. "Your werewolf senses recognize that we are like beings and that _I _am most suitable for you."

"Oh, God," Selina said. "So what you're telling me is that I'm going to feel all restless, angry and discontent as long as I live unless I sleep with you? That is such a crock. You're only saying this to get me worked up. I know it's all a big fat lie."

"No, it isn't," Klaus shook his head. "Ask your uncle the werewolf scholar if you don't believe me; he'll tell you the exact same thing."

Selina rolled her eyes. "I have to go shower. I feel tainted."

"I'll join you if you like," Klaus said, his eyes bright.

Selina scoffed. "Oh, go to hell," she said before throwing on a bathrobe and heading in the direction of the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Selina drove to the Mansion and knocked furiously on the front door. "What's the matter?" Caroline asked, looking at her critically. "You look awful. What have you been doing to yourself?"<p>

"I've been scrubbing my skin with a loofah for the last hour," Selina said. "Trying to rid it of the horrible taint of evil."

"I'm sorry," Caroline said sympathetically. "Come inside; I'll get you some tea and we can talk about it."

"Thanks," Selina said, following her inside. "But the person I really need to talk to is Uncle Jacob. Is he around?"

Caroline shook her head. "Not at the moment. He met some woman at the library and now they're on a date. What's the problem?"

Selina sat down on the couch. "Oh, nothing too serious. It's just possible that my werewolf side decreed I should mate with Satan and I want to see if it's true or not. He said Uncle Jacob would know."

"What?" Caroline asked confusedly as she put a cup of tea on a coaster next to Selina.

Selina cleared her throat. "Thank you. Here's the deal as I understand it: ever since Klaus made me a hybrid, my werewolf side is much more active. Whereas before, I acted more human, you know, picked men for dating based on personality compatibility and then found out if the sex was good later, now, I not only do that, I also get to have a mate picked the werewolf way, AKA picked purely because of animal attraction."

"And the mate your werewolf side picked for you is...?" Caroline asked.

"Klaus, of course!" Selina burst out. "Who the hell else would it be?"

"Would you like me to go get you some moisturizer from my bathroom?" Caroline asked, wincing. "Your skin looks so raw and painful."

"Yes, please." Selina nodded and took a sip of tea.

Caroline returned with it a few minutes later and watched with concern as Selina smeared it all over herself. "Better?" She asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Much. Thanks again."

Just then, the back door opened with a creak that caused Selina to jump and squirt moisturizer all over her shirt. "Damn!" she cried out.

"I think that's your uncle Jacob now," Caroline said. "You want to go ask him your question?"

"Yes," Selina took a deep breath and ignored the big stain in the middle of her shirt.

"Hello, Caroline," Jacob said when he got into the living room. "And Selina too. What a pleasant surprise! Can I do anything for you?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I would like you to tell me everything you know about the mating rituals of werewolves."

Jacob looked uncomfortable, as if Selina were a five year old asking where babies came from. "Do you really need to know this?" He asked.

"Yes," Selina said urgently. "My werewolf side has mated me with someone I don't like and I need to know if there's a way to get out of it."

Jacob shook his head. "No, dear. I'm afraid that once your senses and your body make the choice, you're stuck."

"But that can't be!" Selina cried out. "When my werewolf senses control me, I'm a violent, sex-crazed bimbo! And what about Damon? How am I going to explain this to him?" She gasped. "Damon! God, what if I'm not sexually attracted to him anymore? God, this just sucks!" She pouted and sat down on the sofa. "There has to be some way out of this."

"There isn't any that _I _know of," Jacob said.

"I'll find one," Selina said. "Believe you me, I will."


	6. Female of the Species

Jacob, Caroline and Selina sat on the couch in silence until Caroline looked at Selina, held her arms out and said, "Do you want a hug?" Selina breathed in sharply, resisting a moment before she nodded. "Yeah," she said, hugging Caroline back. "It's nice to get affection from someone who doesn't actually want to sleep with me. I haven't been getting a lot of that recently."

After they pulled apart, Caroline looked at Jacob. "So have you thought anymore about that favor that Tyler and I asked you about?"

"What favor?" Selina asked. "This sounds intriguing."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "The answer is no. What you're asking isn't natural so even if I could help you, I wouldn't."

"But it's important!" Caroline cried out. "You heard what Selina was told: werewolves mate with their own kind. If a female werewolf comes along, Tyler is going to leave me and I don't want that, so why can't we just get a little creative and stave off that eventuality?"

"Wait," Selina said quickly. "Caroline, what is it that you're asking Uncle Jacob for?"

Jacob sighed. "She and Tyler want to know if it's at all possible for either of them to become a hybrid. I've told them both repeatedly that that's not possible."

"What?" Selina asked, looking shocked. "Caroline, trust me you don't want to do that to yourself. No one knows that better than me. Now, if Tyler's werewolf gene hadn't been activated before now, we might have been able to make him a vampire, have him kill someone, and then see what happens at the next full moon, but I don't know if that's possible now that he's active." She smiled and patted Caroline on the shoulder. "You have nothing to worry about, trust me. Tyler isn't going to leave you."

"What are we talking about?" Tyler asked as he came down the stairs. When he saw Selina, he brightened. "Hi!" he said. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I told Selina about your cockamamie desire to become hybrids," Jacob said. "And she agrees with me that it's a bad idea."

"Yeah," Tyler said. "But did you tell her _why_ we want to become hybrids? Or at least have one of us become one?"

Selina nodded. "Yeah, he did."

Tyler nodded and sat down on her other side. "He says there's no way to make it happen. But it happened for you. Could _you_ work something out for us?"

"Me?" Selina asked in surprise. "You want me to go and see Klaus and ask him to pull out the moonstone again, and find two more people to kill, and on and on, just because the two of you have a completely unjustifiable fear that something or someone is going to come along and break you two up? I don't believe it for a second. I have complete faith in the feelings you have for each other, that they are strong enough to withstand anything that gets thrown at you, including overly amorous female werewolves."

"But-" Caroline said.

"No," Selina shook her head. "No buts. You're going to forget all about this. And if at some point in the future, your fears come true and some tarty werewolf comes along and tries to steal Tyler away, Elena and I can help you work something out. Trust me when I say she won't get away alive."

"All right," Caroline nodded and gave Selina a small smile. "Thanks." Just then, the clock struck the hour. "What time is it?" Selina asked her uncle.

Jacob looked at his watch. "Ten in the morning. Why?"

She sighed. "I better go home and explain to everyone why I wasn't in my bed last night."

"You aren't going to tell them the truth, are you?" Caroline asked.

"No," Selina scoffed. "I'm going to say that it was too hot in my room so I spent the night on the library couch 'cause it's cooler in there. I'll pick up coffee, doughnuts and a paper on the way so it looks like I went out to get breakfast for everyone. They won't question that."

"Good luck," Caroline called after her.

"Thanks!" Selina called with a wave and headed out the door. "Call me in a couple hours. Maybe we can get with Elena and do lunch!"

* * *

><p>When When Selina reached the boardinghouse, she carried all the stuff up to the front steps and grabbed her key from her side pocket, letting herself in. "I'm back!" She called. "And I brought doughnuts and coffee. Could someone please come help me?"<p>

"Sure," Stefan said, appearing out of nowhere. "Is that why you weren't in your room this morning? You left to get us breakfast?"

"And the paper," Selina held it out. "I noticed that the paperboy's been a little lax lately."

"Thanks," Stefan said as they carried everything into the kitchen.

"Actually, that wasn't the only reason why I was gone from my room last night: I couldn't sleep because I was too hot in there, so I took refuge on the library couch. I would have woken Damon and told him, but he looked so peaceful that I thought it would be cruel. Where is he now? Has he been worried about me?"

"Yes," Elena nodded, taking the coffee that was meant for her. "He was freaking out all this morning. But he's not here now. He and Ric are at a basketball game. Jenna was supposed to go, but she had to help Carol with the preparations for some celebration or other at the last minute, so Damon took her place."

"Why'd he let himself freak out like that?" Selina asked. "He knows my cell number. He could have called me and I would have told him I was fine. And what about Joshua?"

"Joshua's actually at the Grill with some people he met last night," Elena said. "He introduced them to us. They seemed very nice."

"Ah," Selina nodded. "That's great. So, now that I'm here, everyone's accounted for?"

"Yeah," Stefan nodded. Then he frowned at Elena. "What's wrong? Does Selina have a spot on her shirt or something? Why do you keep looking at her?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Why _do_ you keep looking at me?"

"Oh," Elena blinked and took another swig of coffee. "It's nothing. After we finish breakfast, could you come up to my room and help me pick out a shirt to wear to that thing?"

"Your room?" Selina asked. "Since when did you get a room?"

"I just brought some clothes over," Elena shrugged. "Jenna said it was okay as long as I promised to be responsible, which I did."

"What thing?" Stefan asked.

"Nothing," Elena shook her head. "Just a thing." And before Selina could finish her coffee, Elena had whipped it out from under her nose and had begun pulling Selina toward the stairs.

* * *

><p>"So," Elena said when they were comfortably situated in Selina's spare room. "Where were you <em>really<em> sleeping last night when you weren't in your room?"

"I was in the library," Selina said uneasily. "I told you that already."

"And are you lying?" Elena asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Selina's face crumbled. "Maybe just a little...or a lot. I spent last night with Klaus and to be frank, I never felt better in my life, although I certainly wouldn't tell him that."

"What?" Elena asked, looking stunned. "Why did you sleep with Klaus last night?"

"I didn't mean to," Selina assured her quickly. "It's just that ever since I became a hybrid, my werewolf side has become more obvious, and they mate by physical attraction and instinct rather than putting actual thought into it."

"And your werewolf side likes Klaus?" Elena asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "It was Klaus who told me about it first, so I thought he was lying, and then I asked Uncle Jacob and _he _told me the same thing, so it looks like I'm stuck. And that sucks because if I'm attracted to Klaus, then that might mean I'm not sexually attracted to Damon anymore. He's not going to take that well!"

"I'd make absolutely sure I wasn't sexually attracted to Damon before you just squash him like that," Elena said. "Don't stir things up more than you need to."

"All right," Selina said. "So I'll wait until he comes home tonight and just check and see."

"I think you'll be all right," Elena told her. "It's only the werewolf part of you that wants anything to do with Klaus at all, right? Vampire you still hates his guts?"

Selina nodded. "Yeah, of course."

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Elena said.

"I hope you're right," Selina told her.

* * *

><p>LLater that evening, Elena knocked on Selina's door. "Damon's back," she said. "And he told me he needed to take a shower. You wanna go in and see him?"<p>

"Is he in _our_ bathroom?" Selina wanted to know.

"Yeah," Elena nodded.

"Thanks," Selina put down her book and strode from the room. When she reached her and Damon's bathroom, she opened the door without bothering to knock and was immediately rewarded. The first sight that met her eyes was Damon, completely naked, standing in front of the bathroom mirror. When the door opened, he turned.

"Sorry," Selina said. "Just me. I didn't know you were in here." She sat down on the bench next to the bathtub and gazed at him. "So, how was the game?"

"It was fine," Damon said. "How was wherever you were?"

"I spent last night in the library because we weren't getting enough air in our room. I would have told you, but it was like two in the morning when I woke up and I didn't want to wake you."

Now, he turned. He looked at her a moment and his lip quirked. "Did you actually come in here for something."

"No," Selina grinned. "I just wanted to look. I'll go now."

"You don't have to," he said. "I was just curious."

"_Well," _Selina said, "Elena_ did_ mention something about you wanting to take a shower. Can I join you?"

He eyed her for a moment, then pulled her to him and began nuzzling her neck. "You smell like lavender soap," he said. "You don't need a shower."

Selina shifted as she felt hardness against her thigh. "But you clearly need me, so how are we going to work this out?"

He pushed her away from him and wrapped a towel around his waist. "Go stand by the bed and wait for me. I'll be back in a minute."

Curious, she did as he asked. A few minutes later, he returned with a bag of stuff. "What's all this for?" she asked him with a wink.

"I just thought we'd try a little something different, that's all," he said as he began to undress her.

Once she was undressed, he pulled a bottle of chocolate syrup from the bag and squirted it liberally over her. Then, he grabbed the whipped cream and covered her breasts with it, topping each pile off with a cherry. Then, he began to lick it all off as she cried out in ecstasy and relief. Once she was mostly clean and breathing heavily, she pulled herself up. "Give me the bottle," she said. "I want to do _you_ now."

After they emptied all the bottles and boxes, they got in the shower. Selina was sticky, but Damon washed her off. With rose-scented soap.

* * *

><p>"So what's the verdict?" Elena asked when she saw Selina later that night. "Are you still sexually attracted to Damon?"<p>

"Oh, yes!" Selina said. "You would _not_ believe how much I am."

"See?" Elena said. "I told you you were worrying for nothing."

"And thank goodness, too." Selina told her. "I would _not _have relished the task of telling Damon that I wasn't sexually attracted to him anymore." All of a sudden, her eyes widened and she gasped, grinning. "I have to go make a phone call."

* * *

><p>She ran to the kitchen and grabbed the phone off the hook, dialing quickly. "Hey, Lucy," she said. "Is Klaus around by any chance? I have something I need to tell him."<p>

A few seconds later, Klaus was on the line. "Are you looking forward to tonight, my love? I have plans for us."

"Well you can just forget about them," she said icily. "Because I'm still attracted to my husband and there's no chance in hell I'm going to throw away our relationship just for some meaningless sexual fling with you."

"Did you hear nothing your uncle told you?" he asked her. "What you and I have is something you can't avoid."

"Oh, please," Selina laughed. "We don't have anything. As for my husband and I, he just gave me the best time I've ever had in a bedroom. _And _a bathroom too, for that matter."

"And how did it go again?" Klaus asked. "I bet there was sugar involved."

"Yes," Selina said. "As a matter of fact there was."

"How quaint," Klaus said. "Did he lick it all off you? Slowly? Just like last night, when you licked the blood off my-"

Selina slammed the phone down before he could finish the sentence. She was breathing heavily. "Why the hell did I have to bait him?" She whispered to herself. "Now I just feel worse." It was then that she realized that there was only one thing left to do, and one person who could help her. She ran out to her car and drove off to see him.

* * *

><p>"You're back," Elijah said as he looked up at her. "What conundrum did that temper of yours get you into now?"<p>

"It wasn't my temper," Selina said quietly. "It was something else. Remember yesterday when you said I was acting weird and I told you it was because I saw a scary movie? Well, that's not what it was."

"There's a big surprise," Elijah said dryly. "What was it really?"

She took a deep breath and it all just came pouring out. "I was actually fantasizing about seeing your brother naked. Ever since I became a hybrid, my violent, stupid, and oversexed werewolf self has been taking over a lot of aspects of my life, and according to both your brother and my uncle the werewolf encylopedia, werewolves mate for life based on physical attraction. Apparently, my werewolf self considers Klaus quite a catch, so last night, almost as if I was being compelled to do so, I drove over to Doctor Stensrund's and I had sex with your brother." She sighed, letting out a breath that she'd been holding for quite a while. She waited for Elijah to say something, but he just stared at her and said nothing. "What," she said after awhile. "No lecture about how foolish that was and how I should control myself better?"

He cleared his throat. "If your werewolf self caused it, I can't really blame you, but what do you hope to gain by telling me all this?"

"Well," Selina said, "I was hoping you could help me. I'm thinking that if my werewolf self is occupied with someone else this evening, then it won't want to go running off to be with Klaus. And even if I try, you're strong enough to stop me from getting away, right?"

"I should think so," he said. "But are you certain that's the only way to keep you away from my brother?"

She nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"All right then," he nodded. "That's what we'll have to do."

* * *

><p>"Did you and Selina have a nice chat?" Lucy asked.<p>

"It didn't end well for her," Klaus said wryly. "She was calling to brag about a wonderful encounter she'd had with her husband. She was trying to make me angry. But it backfired on her. No matter what she says, she's going to be here tonight, and we're going to settle the question of her loyalties once and for all." He looked at Lucy and smiled. "Thank you so much for the idea for tonight."

"You're welcome," Lucy nodded. "I'll never forget what she was like right after she turned and Katerina Petrova, as you call her, warped my father's brain. He would starve Selina for a couple of days and keep her tied to a chair in the attic. Then, he would bring in several homeless people and set her on them until they were all completely drained. When it happened, I thought my father was mad, but now I understand why he did what he did. He had it right all along. And if we get Selina drinking as much blood as my father did back then, you'll have yourself a perfect mate. Only, you might have to work a little to find her tonight. After I finished my meeting with her father, I saw her driving in the direction of the place where your brother is staying. She's being avoidant again."

Klaus breathed in sharply. "Well, we can't have that. I'll be back in half an hour with Selina." And with that, he picked up the dagger, which had been dipped in the white ash, and strode out the door.

* * *

><p>As far as Selina was concerned, things were going well. She was safe with Elijah, and so far had felt absolutely no urges to be with his brother. "I guess I was right," she said between panting breathes. "You know, you really <em>are<em> a good distraction."

"Well," he replied, shifting and causing her to scream. "I do what I can." At that moment, the bedroom door burst open and the lights came on. "Well, well, well," said Klaus as Selina's heart sank. "What do we have here?"

Selina pushed herself up and turned. "So you found me. What are you going to do about it?"

He found her clothes and threw them at her. "Get dressed while I have a word with my brother. And then you are leaving with me." She opened her mouth to protest, but the look in his eyes stopped her cold. She picked up her clothes from the floor and went to the bathroom to go put them on. When she heard the shout, she winced. Then, there was a knock on the bathroom door. "Are you dressed? Because we're going." Selina stepped out of the bathroom and gasped. Eijah was tucked in, but his face and body seemed rigid and frozen. A dagger protrouded from the blankets, right where his chest would be. "What did you do?" Selina whispered.

"It doesn't matter," Klaus said briefly. "Let's go, my love."

* * *

><p>They arrived back at Doctor Stensrund's in half an hour. When Lucy saw the look on Selina's face, she burst out laughing. "Why did you try to run away from this?" She asked. "You only made it worse for yourself."<p>

Selina glared at her. "Can you blame me for trying at least?" She glared at Klaus. "The alternative leaves a lot to be desired." She shook herself free of his grip and stalked off.

"I thought she was supposed to be mooning over you," Lucy said as she watched Selina's retreating back. "What's happened?"

Klaus shook his head. "Nothing a little time alone won't cure."

He found Selina in one of the upstairs rooms. "Still trying to avoid me?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I would think you'd have gotten the point by now. You might believe that there's a part of me that finds you irresistible, but you're wrong."

"Would you like to bet me on that?" He asked, his eyes twinkling. "How about this: let me kiss you once, and if you don't feel anything afterwards, I'll let you go home. Of course if you _do_ feel something, we'll have a delightful evening, just like we did last night."

Selina rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the tingles that were breaking out all over her body. When his lips touched hers, everything seemed to explode around her. Then, he pulled away and asked, "How are you feeling?"

She smiled. "More like myself," she said. "I don't know _what_ I was thinking earlier. What are we going to do tonight?"

"Let me show you," he said, taking her hand. He let her into the bathroom, which had a giant bathtub in it. The bathtub was full of blood and was big enough to hold two people. "What are we going to do in _there_?" Selina asked, awestruck.

"We're going to play a game," Klaus said as he stripped off his clothes and stepped into the tub. "A little game called Blood." He watched her undress with his chin resting on his arms. When she joined him, he pulled her to him, holding her for a minute. "How do you play?" She asked.

"Well," he said, "You finish off all the blood in this tub and for every mouthful you swallow, I'll reward you."

"Really?" She asked. She eyed it nervously. "It seems like an awful lot. I don't know if I can."

He kissed her neck. "Of course you can. You're just out of practice." She eyed him doubtfully. He gave her a cup and ran his fingers through her hair. When she finished her first cupful, he licked the blood off her neck and thrusted, making her scream. After her second, he ran his hands over her body, planting nipping kisses on her lips and licking off the blood. Things went on for quite some time until she was on the last cupful. As she swallowed it, she screamed, feeling a violent release, whether from Klaus or the blood, she didn't know. Then, she began to feel a little drowsy. "I need to sleep," she said.

"All right," he told her, lifting her body out of the tub. He carried her to the adjoining bedroom and set her down. Her eyes were just barely open. "Could you clean me off first?" She asked him.

He grinned. "Of course, dear. Of course." And she fell asleep as his tongue lapped the blood off her body.

* * *

><p>The next morning, she awakened to the feeling of Klaus sucking on her breasts. "What a way to wake up," she breathed.<p>

He grinned at her. "Good morning, my love."

She grinned back. "Morning, Sexy."


	7. Life in the Fast Lane

A knock on the door interrupted them. "Are you two up?" Lucy called. "Can I come in?"

Klaus and Selina stared at one another and sighed. He rolled off her and they grudgingly got into bathrobes. "Come in, Lucy," Klaus called. "What is it you want?"

Lucy opened the door and strode in. "So," she said. "Did it work? Has she changed at all?"

"I'm standing right here, Lucy," Selina snapped. "You don't have to ask him. You can ask me."

Lucy circled her and looked into her eyes. "You don't seem much different. You always _did_ have something of a problem with your attitude."

Selina sighed. "That wasn't my fault. My mother was an idiot, my father went off to war and "died," depriving me of the only good parent I could have had, all the girls in Mystic Falls were complete twits and I was struggling with a werewolf gene. I had every right to have a bit of an attitude!"

Lucy nodded. "This is true. But I still don't believe you've changed that much."

"I have," Selina said. "For the better. Your father was right to do to me what he did. I didn't see it at the time, but the attitude was the one thing that kept me alive. It's not like I can depend on anyone else."

"What about your famiily?" Lucy asked.

Selina laughed, a sound like shards of glass breaking. "My family? Please. After what happened with Uncle Jacob, the view they took was to pretend the werewolf gene didn't exist and just live their lives as normal humans, especially my mother. And a hell of a lot of good that did her."

Lucy nodded. "So you think your family was _wrong_ to hide the knowledge of your werewolf gene from you?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "They acted like it was something to be ashamed of." A smile curved her lips. "But I'm not ashamed at all. I have power now and I intend to use it." She turned and opened the window. "The people in this town, or their ancestors at least, murdered my uncle. The town leaders wouldn't even let him be buried in the cemetery because they thought he was an abomination. I'm going to avenge him." She turned around to gaze at Klaus and Lucy. "And it's going to be _fun_."

Klaus looked at Lucy. "So do you believe she's changed?"

Lucy nodded. "I believe she has."

* * *

><p>After Selina and Klaus got dressed, they followed Lucy downstairs to the living room. "So," Lucy said. "What are we going to do today?"<p>

"I was thinking of reconnoitering," Selina said. "Every plot needs a plan and I don't want to get caught like I did when you let me out the night of the full moon and I got picked up and tortured by that bitch Liz Forbes. It's a shame I was too weak to kill her myself."

"You know that didn't have to happen," Lucy said. "I was counting on you to be able to fight her off."

Selina turned around and sped over to the table where Lucy was sitting. "You expected me to be able to fight her off? She shot me full of vervain and nearly beat me to death."

Lucy shrugged. "So? If you'd have been more aware, it wouldn't have happened."

"There was no reason for you to out me as a vampire," Selina said. "I could have been killed!"

"Oh, boo-hoo," Lucy said. "Go cry to someone who cares."

At that, Selina grabbed Lucy by the throat and slammed her head hard against the wall. "Isn't this a fun little coincidence?" she asked. "You did this to me after I accused you of killing my mother. Now, you apologize to me or I'll snap you like a twig. It would be good practice for me. It's been _months_ since I killed Christian Blake and I think I may be a little rusty." Lucy's eyes bulged as Selina squeezed harder. "You wanna know how I killed Christian Blake? I ripped out his throat first. Blood spiled everywhere. I licked up what I could. And as he was breathing his last breaths, I ripped his heart out with my bare hands and stomped it into his carpet. There were splatter patterns in that room that were unbelievable. And you know what the best part was?"

Lucy was gasping for air now, her face turning slowly blue. Selina shook her for good measure. "The best part was that I didn't get caught." She slammed Lucy into the wall one more time and then dropped her, coughing, gagging and crying, into a heap on the floor.

"Why did you stop?" Klaus asked.

Selina shrugged. "Is she useful to us? I wouldn't want to kill her if she's useful to us."

"Not really, anymore," Klaus shrugged. "I had Alistair call her up so she could help us get you, but now that you've been got..." He looked at Lucy speculatively, then turned back to Selina. "You may kill her if you'd like to."

Selina stared at Lucy long and hard. When she reached out her hand to Lucy's hair, Lucy screamed. "I don't think I'll kill her now," Selina said at last. "There _is_ a way she's useful to me."

"Oh?" Klaus said. "And what is that?"

Selina smiled. "I can't very well have my mother skulking around and spying on me while I'm cleansing Mystic Falls, can I? Lucy loves my father, and Mama's horribly jealous. If Lucy lures my father away, Mama will be so incensed that she won't give a damn about what _I'm _doing because she'll be too busy spying on _them_."

"Very clever," Klaus said. Selina looked at Lucy. "Can you do that?"

Lucy nodded.

Selina patted her shoulder. "Do well, and I won't regret letting you live."

* * *

><p>Just before she and Lucy were about to go to the mall to get Selina some new clothes, Selina's phone rang. She picked it up and pressed send. "Hello?"<p>

"Where the hell are you?" the voice at the other end snapped. "You got out of the shower last night and then I don't see you. This is the second time in two days you've disappeared."

"Who is it?" Lucy asked as Selina took the phone away from her ear and rolled her eyes. "No one important," Selina said. "Just my stupid husband. I suppose I should go back to the boardinghouse and tell him I want to break things off. He smothers me terribly."

"Does he?" Lucy said sympathetically.

"Yeah," Selina said. "Who do you think it is that locks me up during the full moon and stops me from reaching my full potential?"

"Remember, darling," Klaus said, "Since you went through the ritual, you don't have to wait for the full moon. You can turn at will."

"I can?" Selina asked. "I completely forgot about that. It'll make things much easier." Clearing her throat, she put the phone back on her ear. "Would you shut up?" She snapped. "I'll be back in a bit, so just lay off me." She pressed the off button and shut the phone. "Would it be all right if we delayed the trip to the mall just a little bit?" She asked.

"Of course," Lucy said. "Just give me a call when you're through there. I'll be here."

* * *

><p>"What did Selina say?" Stefan asked as Damon hung up. "Is she all right?"<p>

"She was angry," Damon said. "Acting like I had no right to ask where she was. But I do."

"Of course you do," Stefan nodded. "But technically, she was only gone last night; the night before, she was sleeping in the library."

"Actually," Elena said, "She was sleeping at Klaus's. With Klaus."

"What?" Stefan and Damon said at the same time. "Why would she do that?"

"Something to do with her werewolf gene," Elena said. "Apparently, it's been a lot more active since she became a hybrid, and now it's decided that she needs to sleep with Klaus in order to be a complete being, because apparently werewolves only mate with their own kind."

"Where the hell does that leave me?" Damon shouted.

"I think you'll be all right," Elena said. "The encounter you two had last night was partly an experiment to see if she was still sexually attracted to you, and it obviously worked, didn't it?"

"You mean," Damon's voice was shaking, "that I have to spend the rest of eternity knowing that when I go to bed at night, Selina's going to sneak off to sleep with Rover?"

"Apparently that's what it means," Elena said. "And there's no way to change it; Selina already asked her uncle and he says she's completely stuck."

Damon scoffed. "Not if I kill Klaus she isn't."

"You can't kill Klaus," Stefan said. "Elijah told us several times that he's indestructable."

"What's going on?" Joshua asked, coming down the stairs. "Have you reached Mother yet?" he asked Damon.

"Yes I have," Damon said stiffly. "And it seems she's lost her mind."

"Really?" Joshua asked. "Is there anything we can do to fix it?"

Damon sighed. "I don't know, son. I don't know."

* * *

><p>When Selina arrived, Damon was the one who answered the door. "Nice of you to finally show up," he said bitterly.<p>

"I'm sure you found some way to occupy your time," Selina said. "You had a lot of practice during the more than one hundred years you spent with every floozy you could get your hands on."

"Is that what this is about?" Damon asked.

"No," Selina shook her head and remove her jacket. "But it's why I don't feel bad about it. Consider this payback."

"Why did you come back here?" Damon asked.

"You asked me to, didn't you?" Selina said. "And I wanted to tell you in person that from now on you probably won't be seeing me very often. I'm in the process of moving on from our so-called 'relationship.'"

"I wonder what you'll be doing instead?" Damon asked dryly. "Or who?"

Selina laughed. "You've caught on. Good for you. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to be on my way."

She headed out the door, but Stefan stopped her on the front steps. "What did he do to you?" he asked.

"What did who do to me?" Selina asked.

"Klaus," Stefan said. "It would be an understatement to say that you aren't acting like yourself."

"I've been in denial for 146 years, Stefan." Selina said. "But thanks to Klaus giving me all that blood last night, more than I've had the courage to consume since I escaped from Doctor Stensrund's, I've been able to embrace my true nature. It wouldn't hurt you to do the same."

Stefan put his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to yourself," he said. "Listen to what you're saying. This isn't you talking at all! Do you want to get kidnapped and killed by the sheriff again? Or the members of the council?"

"That won't happen," Selina said. "You're forgetting about the little promise Michael swore the council to before he died. Because of that, I can do whatever I want and kill whomever I want and no one can do a damn thing about it." She grinned. "Life is good."

"I'm sure when Michael made the promise, he wasn't thinking that you'd ever act like _this."_ Stefan said.

Selina shook her head. "Michael has seen me at my worst. He knows what I'm capable of. Why do you think he had Emily Bennett put that stupid spell on his descendants? Because he knew that unless he had members of his family watch over me, I would kill someone. Maybe intentionally, maybe not. And yet he still made the council promise to leave me alone. Not one of his brighter moments."

Stefan opened his mouth to respond, but she brushed him aside and left the boardinghouse.

"Was that her?" Joshua asked as he watched her walk away.

"It looked like her," Damon said. "But I don't know who the hell it was."

* * *

><p>"What did Damon and Stefan think of the new you?" Lucy asked Selina as she drove back to Doctor Stensrund's. "They hated me. That must mean I'm doing <em>something <em>right," Selina said. "Stefan was even trying to reform me. But I didn't have any of it. I like the new me."

"Good," Lucy said. "When you get back to the house, would you want to run to the mall?"

"Of course," Selina said. "All the clothes at the house are really out of date, aren't they?"

Lucy laughed. "See you when you get back." She hung up the phone and turned back to Klaus. "Apparently, the new Selina didn't go over well at the boardinghouse."

"Is that so?" Klaus asked. "This is good news."

Lucy nodded. "Apparently, Stefan tried to talk her back into being good, but she didn't fall for it."

Klaus was looking thoughtful. "After you two get back from your shopping trip, I'm going to ask Selina if she wouldn't mind convincing Stefan to join us."

Lucy snorted. "You're kidding right? He's about as good as they come!"

Klaus grinned wickedly. "Maybe he is _now._ But he's repressing a lot. He used to slaughter entire villages without a second thought."

Lucy's eyes widened. "He _did? _I had no idea. I never would have guessed!"

"Believe it," Klaus said. "He _will_ be an asset to us. I just have to make sure that Selina is willing to play her part."

* * *

><p>When Lucy and Selina got back from their shopping trip, Klaus was waiting for them just inside. He looked Selina over appreciatively. She was wearing a strapless black minidress with lace around the waist and a red border around the bodice. "You look lovely," he said.<p>

She smiled. "Thank you. We had quite a productive evening." It was then that he noticed the dried blood on her collarbone and a tear on the side of the dress. "And _what_," he asked, kissing her lightly, "did you do to yourself? Did you get into a fight?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't necessarily call it a fight. I just wanted to get back into practice and see if I could still finish people off as well as I used to."

"Really?" Klaus asked. "And how did _that _go?"

Selina grinned. "Seven people, all dead, clean get away. Not bad for my first kill in months if I do say so myself."

"Don't be too proud just yet," Lucy said derisively. "Five of the people she killed were children. They can't even run as fast so it's not like she was challenging herself."

"You have to start somewhere," Klaus said. "I'm assuming you aren't going to get in trouble for this?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I drained the parents beforehand, and they were the only only ones who saw anything. I think I'll go upstairs and shower."

"Wait," Klaus said, leading Selina to the living room where Lucy was already seated on the couch. "Before you go," he told her, "I have a favor I need from you."

"Oh?" Selina asked. "And just what did you need?"

"I was wondering if you might persuade your brother-in-law to join us," he said smoothly. "He was quite a man about town some years back."

Selina shook her head. "I don't think so," she said shortly.

"Why not?" Klaus asked.

Selina put her hands on her hips. "Because you know what's going to happen if I get Stefan for you? You and he are going to spend _all _your evenings out and about having a jolly good time killing people while I'm stuck at home, taking care of our...children. There's not a chance in _hell_ I'm going to let that happen." She stalked off.

Klaus turned to Lucy. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Well, it kind of seemed like you valued Stefan's company more than hers and that hurt her feelings. You better buy her something shiny or else I don't think she's ever going to forgive you."

Klaus burst out laughing. "My sweet, simple Lucy. I've been around for over two thousand years, and in that time, I've learned a thing or two about women. Give me ten minutes, and by charm alone, I can get her to forgive me."

"All right, Maestro," Lucy said skeptically. "Do your magic."

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, he went upstairs to their bedroom where Selina was preparing for bed. "Good evening, my love," he said, standing just inside the doorway. She turned, clutching a blanket and a pillow. "Good evening," she said, throwing them at him. "Catch."<p>

"What are these for?" He asked.

Selina rolled he eyes. "I should think that would be obvious to you: you're sleeping on the couch tonight, Mister."

Fury welled up in Klaus, but he relaxed and looked up at her, grinning. "All right," he said, coming up to the side of the bed as she tucked herself in. He kissed her neck and ran his finger slowly over her bare spine causing her to shiver. "You have a wonderful evening up here by yourself, but don't come downstairst to get me if you wake up in the middle of the night with an itch you can't scratch." He paused and then leaned in close to her, blowing in her ear. "Goodnight, sweetheart," he said, then strode toward the door.

"Goodnight," Selina snapped back as he shut the door behind him.

* * *

><p>"Looks like you didn' do as well as you thought," Lucy said, eyeing the blanket and pillow Klaus held. "She banished you to the downstairs sofa."<p>

"That's nothing," he said. "She still thinks she's angry with me, but I'm going to count, and before I get to ten, I bet she's going to come back down here, and not only let me back upstairs, but also apologize for sending me down here in the first place."

He began to count, and by the time he reached five, Selina came rushing down the stairs. "I hate you," she said breathlessly. "Here I am trying to stay mad at you and you make me all mushy. I overreacted and I'm sorry. Now, come upstairs. I need you bad."

"But darling," he said, his eyes wide, "I hurt you. You had every right to do what you did. So I'm going to stay down here and serve my punishment."

"To hell with what I said!" Selina burst out. "You're going to come upstairs with me and we're going to have an enjoyable evening. If you know what's good for you."

Klaus heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Yes, dear. I'm coming." He followed Selina up the stairs, but not before turning to Lucy and giving her a wink. "Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight," she replied, feeling absolutely stunned.


	8. Two Girls for Every Boy

The next morning, Selina opened her eyes and groaned. "Oh, God," she said to no one in particular. "Don't tell me I did it again."

"You did," Klaus said. "Several times. It was quite the evening. And just think, it wouldn't have happened if you'd kept me downstairs."

Selina stared at him, her hand running through her unruly, short black hair. "What?"

Klaus sighed and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry about it; I forgive you. Last night, I asked you a favor, you objected to it, and then you kicked me out of bed."

"You're kidding," Selina said, feeling a little dumbfounded. "While I was under the influence of my _extremely_ id-driven werewolf gene, I kicked _you_ out of bed? Huh, maybe I'm smarter than I thought."

Klaus laughed. "Don't get your hopes too high, my love," he said. "A little physical urging from me was all it took to get you back to your shallow, lustful self."

Selina groaned. "I think I'm going to be ill."

At that moment, Lucy poked her head in. "Good morning," she said. "I thought you'd like to know that Selina's on the news." As Lucy was about to shut the door behind her, Selina said, "Wait! Why would I be on the news? Just what did I do?"

Lucy opened the door again, grinning widely. "What do you usually do that gets you on the news?"

Selina gasped. "I killed somebody last night, didn't I? Oh, what if the sheriff comes and arrests me or stakes me or whatever?"

"Relax," Lucy said. "This time, you were smart enough to transform before you killed those people. You were a wolf when the attacks happened."

"What?" Selina's eyes widened. "When I killed those _people? _There was more than one?"

"Many more," Lucy grinned. "Two adults and five children. I couldn't be more proud."

"I killed _children_?" Selina asked, feeling horrified.

"Yes," Lucy nodded and turned on the television in the bedroom. "See for yourself."

The morning news came on, showing pictures of five horribly mutilated and bloody bodies. They were all childen. Resting in deck chairs like two houseguests that had overstayed their welcome, were two adults. Thier necks were bent at grostesque angles, obviously broken, and their eyes stared blankly into space.

"Oh, God," Selina said, putting her head in her hands. "I can't watch this anymore. Turn it off, please."

Rolling her eyes, Lucy shut off the television. "I don't know what you're so upset about," she said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Of course not," Klaus said. "You are a hunter and humans are your prey."

"Besides," Lucy said, "I have to wonder why you're crying over these particular people. I don't remember you shedding tears over the campers, or Christian Blake. Or my father."

Selina looked up at her. "Is that what this is about?" She asked. "Are you trying to avenge what I did to your father by making me do horrible thngs? Are you just _waiting_ for the day that I finally do something so horrible that the guilt's gonna drive me straight into the sun without my ring?"

"You had no right to kill him after all he did for you!" Lucy burst out. "He saved your life, and your son's. He was one of the few people in your childhood that you could count on. When your mother turned into a raging drunk, who gave you a shoulder to cry on? That's right, my father! And then you tore out his throat and sucked him dry. Was he pleading for mercy the entire time? Did it excite you to hear him scream?" She was breathing hard and eyeing Selina reproachfully.

Selina stood there in silence for a moment. Then, she bared her teeth and rushed. "You bitch!" She screamed, throwing Lucy against the wall and knocking her to the floor. Woozy, Lucy tried to get up, but Selina rushed her one last time, ripping her heart from her chest and lapping up the blood from the wound, laughing as Lucy screamed one last horrible time. When she was finally still, Selina, her pajamas, face, throat and chest spattered in Lucy's blood, looked up at Klaus. "Do you have a hack saw or something?" She asked. They left Lucy's body in the bedroom and found a sharp sword in one of basement rooms. Selina methodically began severing Lucy's limbs from her torso and then finally amputating her head, buring each piece in a different corner of the yard. When she'd finished, she went back to the house and found Klaus standing on the deck, watching her. "I'm going to go shower up," she said. "Have Alistair burn my nightgown. I'm going to change my clothes and leave for today. I'll see you tonight, I guess."

Klaus grinned. "I'm pleased to see you've finally accepted our relationship," he said.

Selina shrugged. "Uncle Jacob says there's no way out of it. At least I have the consolation of knowing that the good part of me still exists and is very much attracted to my husband. I'm not yours alone. You'll never have all of me to yourself."

* * *

><p>"What the hell did you <em>do <em>last night?" Tyler asked when Selina arrived at the Lockwood mansion. He and Caroline were watching the news. "Dad and Mom have been in news conferences all day trying to assure everyone in the town that all is well!"

Selina sighed. "I didn't mean to," she said. "I was out with Lucy and Lucy was a _very_ bad influence on me. Tyler, you of all people should know that." She sat in the recliner and squinted at the television, which showed Mayor Lockwood giving a press conference about the latest animal attacks. "We must all remain calm," he said. "I promise you that I will work with the police to make sure that the beast that killed those children is caught and disposed of." She laughed bitterly. "Do you think he knows it was me that did it?"

"No," Tyler said. "He has no idea that you're a hybrid. Hell, he doesn't even know that _my _werewolf gene is activated. And I sure as hell am not going to tell him."

Caroline frowned. "Selina, did you say that it was _you_ who killed all those people? But it wasn't a full moon last night, so how could you have transformed?"

"Fun part about being a hybrid, Caroline," Selina said. "Contact with the moonstone made me be able to transform at will. I don't have to wait for the full moon; I can transform when I choose to. Or not at all."

"Seriously?" Caroline asked. "You mean, you could go psycho this very minute and turn?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "It's true. But the good news is, it seems that as long as I monitor my blood intake and am careful not to be too gluttonous, I remain my old self as long as the sun is out. My werewolf gene doesn't have any effect on me during the day. Just while the moon is in the sky."

"So kind of like a Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde deal?" Caroline said.

Selina nodded. "Exactly. The fun part's going to be going back to the boardinghouse and talking with Damon. I fed a little too well the night before last and when I saw Damon and Stefan afterwards, I said some pretty nasty things."

"It'll be all right," Caroline said. "Damon's seen you in the aftermath of your werewolf gene-inspired fits before, right?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "But this is _different_."

"No, it's not." Caroline said. "Just be honest about what happened. It's the best you can do."

"Yeah, all right," Selina nodded. "I better go face the music now before I lose my nerve." She was halfway to the door when Amelia appeared, coming down the front stairway, her hand resting lightly on the railing. "And just where were _you_ thinking of going?" She asked.

Selina turned. "Back to the boardinghouse. I have to. After yesterday, I have a few things I need to explain to Damon."

"It can wait," Amelia said. "I'd like to know what happened first."

"I don't need a lecture, Mama." Selina said. "What happened last night I had absolutly no control over. I couldn't have avoided it if I'd wanted to."

"Well, that's the problem, isn't it?" Amelia said. "I found out about what you are now from your uncle. He told me that you can now transform into a wolf at will, that it doesn't just happen to you automatically when the full moon comes out. Do you know how awful it feels to know your daughter voluntarily chose to kill _children_?"

Selina laughed bitterly. "Of course, Mama. Let's talk about how hard this whole situation was for _you_. Things are always so much harder for you than everybody else, and when reality gets to be too much, you just turn into yourself. You don't face it. Not even for your daughter who _needed _you. You're too weak for that. You might have problems, but you know what? I don't want to hear them. So if you need to talk to someone, talk to the men who've _always _listened: Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker."

Amelia breathed in sharply as if she'd been slapped. "How dare you," she breathed. "How _dare_ you talk to me like that? Regardless of what happened between us when you were growing up, I am still your mother and I deserve your respect!"

"No," Selina said. "You don't deserve my respect, Mama. Respect is something that has to be _earned_. If you want to see someone I respect, look no further than Daddy. He risked existance and limb every year of my life to come to Doctor Stensrund's and spend time with me. When I tell him things, ambitions of mine and hobbies, he praises me. He doesn't try to force me to be someone I'm not. He likes me just the way I am. Which is _definitely_ more than I can say for you." And before Amelia could respond to that, Selina left the mansion and strode away without another word.

* * *

><p>Selina made a stop over at the bakery and picked up two dozen of her favorite double chocolate cupcakes. When she got to the boardinghouse, she snuck into the library and began unwrapping them and stuffing them into her mouth in a very unladylike fashion. When she'd eaten six, the library door opened and Joshua and Damon stood staring at her. "What the hell are you doing?" Damon said.<p>

"She must be upset about something," Joshua said, coming over to her, picking up one of the cupcakes and slowly unwrapping it. "She used to bake things and eat them in one sitting all the time when she was upset and I wouldn't let her have any alcohol."

"_Are _you upset about something?" Damon asked her. Her cheeks were still bulging with cupcake and there was some chocolate frosting on the side of her mouth. She nodded and swallowed. "Yeah, I'm upset about something. Yesterday."

"Yeah, what happened?" Damon asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you act so weird."

"I fed too much," Selina said. "And when I feed too much, I get belligerent, end of story."

"So, if you're upset, why aren't you having anything to drink?" Damon asked. "That's what you usually do and we've got a half full bottle of bourbon in the cabinet over the refrigerator."

Selina shook her head and bit her lip. "I've decided I'm not going to drink anymore. It's a crutch and doesn't really solve any of my problems. It just adds more when I have to deal with a hangover the next morning."

"Wait...what?" Joshua asked, nearly dropping his half-eaten cupcake on the floor. "You aren't going to drink anymore?"

"And now you're replacing alcohol with baked goods," Damon said. "Good plan."

"Look," Selina said. "If I drank, it would make me an awful hypocrite because Mama and I had a fight about what happened last night and I kind of called her a negligent drunk I have absolutely no respect for because she's weak and has avoidance issues. If _I _drink anymore, I'll end up just like her. And that's not what I want. It's like Algernon says in the _Importance of Being Earnest: _"All women become like their mothers; that is their tragedy. Men never do and that's theirs. I will NOT end up like my mother!" And with that, she grabbed a cupcake in each hand and stalked from the library.

* * *

><p>Damon and Joshua knocked on the door of Selina's bedroom half an hour later. She invited them in and they found her clutching a pillow, her face tight. "Did you <em>really<em> have a fight with your mother and call her a negligent drunk?" Damon asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "She wanted me to explain to her why I killed all those people, and when I told her it wasn't entirely my fault, she actually had the nerve to give me a lecture. Do you _believe_ that? And then when I told her to go jump in the lake, she said I _had _to respect her because regardless of my crappy upbringing, she was still my mother."

"And what did you say to that?" Damon asked, putting his arms around her.

"I told her that she hadn't earned my respect, and that I respected Daddy more than her because he risked his existence to come and see me every year, which is a lot more than Mama ever did. And he accepts me for who I am."

"Good for you," Damon told her. "Never settle for less than that. So you won the fight. What's the problem?"

"Am I a hypocrite?" Selina asked. "Do I run away from my problems instead of facing them?"

"Mama," Joshua said, "If you ran away from your problems, my children never would have known you. Annie would never have gotten interested in suffrage, Lottie would have had to find a new tea party companion and the boys would have turned into instruments of patriarchal oppression."

"What did you teach him?" Damon asked, looking curiously at Joshua.

"Just about sexual equality," Selina said. "Especially that Annie had as much right to play sports as Luke and Joey. I would have said the same for Lottie, but she wasn't interested."

"I find the thought of you having a tea party with a little girl kind of hilarious," Damon said. "How'd you get through it with a straight face?"

"I used it as an opportunity to teach Lottie about town history," Selina said. "That way it wasn't dull."

"The point is," Joshua told her, "you're one of the strongest and most resilent people I know and I love you so much for it."

Selina grinned weakly. "Even if I occasionally have to kill people?"

Joshua shrugged. "That's not really your fault, is it?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "No, it's not."

Just then, the doorbell rang downstairs. "I wonder who that could be?" Damon said.

"Certainly not Mama coming to beg for forgiveness," Selina said.

"I'll get it," said Joshua, sprinting out of the room. He came back up a few minutes later. "It _is _your mother," he said. "And your father too. They want to talk to us."

Selina grinned. "If Daddy's here too, he probably made Mama come to apologize. God, I love that man."

* * *

><p>"You seem surprised to see us," Matthew said when he, Amelia, Selina, Damon and Joshua were seated in the dining room.<p>

Selina shrugged. "I wasn't expecting a resolution. Things ended pretty badly."

"And that's exactly why I wanted to come over here," Matthew said. "What is it with the two of you that makes you fight all the time?"

"She doesn't listen to me," Amelia said. "I tell her to do things and she completely ignores whatever I say!"

"What things are you telling her to do?" Matthew asked.

"She made me be in the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, Daddy," Selina said. "She put me in the most riduculous dress and then made me parade around like breeding stock!"

"It was your duty as a member of my family," Amelia said.

"Now Amelia, there's the first problem," Matthew said. "Did it ever occur to you that Selina might not want to be in the pageant?"

"I don't understand why she wouldn't want to be," Amelia said. "You get to dance and wear pretty dresses and be around your girlfriends all day."

"You're right, Mama. You don't understand at all. You want a daughter who's a debutante, a social butterfly," Selina said. "I'm more of a social revolutionary, and I think that whole social scene that you like is shallow and meaningless," Selina said.

"It's very good we're getting this all out," Matthew said, "But a little more _tact_ please?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Fine." She looked at her mother. "What changed between us?" she asked. "When I was really little, you'd send me off with Damon in the morning and laugh your head off when I came home dirty at night. You accepted me then."

"Do you remember how old you were when things changed?" Amelia asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "It was when I was around five."

"Yeah," Amelia nodded. Her eyes were beginning to tear. "Remember what happened when you were five?"

"No," Selina shook her head.

"I do," Damon said quietly. "That was the year Mama had her accident and was killed."

"Yeah," Amelia began to sniffle. "When Charlotte died, something in me died too. She was one of the few women in town intelligent enough to be my best friend. All the others were complete simpletons."

Selina gasped. "And because of that, I became kind of your de facto Charlotte substitute because you lost the person you did girly things with! It all makes sense now."

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "I tried to replace Charlotte with you even though a part of me always knew it was wrong. I was selfish and I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Selina said. "It's great we sorted this out. I'm going to need all the werewolf know how I can get. Because I'm going to do something else nutty tonight. I just know it."

* * *

><p>That night, Selina looked around for Stefan, but couldn't find him. "Have you seen your uncle Stefan?" She asked Joshua.<p>

"Yeah," Joshua nodded. "He said he was going to the Grill because he needed to clear his head."

Selina smiled. "Thank you, Joshua." She got into her car and drove to the Grill, where she found Stefan using one of the pool tables and nursing a Coke. "Hey," she told him. "Joshua said you were here."

"Yeah," he said, racking the pool balls. "Wanna play?" He handed her a cue.

"Oh, I don't know," Selina said. "I've never actually picked up a cue before. Could you show me how to play?"

Stefan smiled. "All right," he said. He came up behind her and put his arms around her, guiding the cue so it hit two balls and knocked them into the corner pocket. Suddenly, he felt her move his hands downward. "Selina?" he asked hesitantly. "What's going on? Are you all right?"

"Of course I am," she said, still moving his hands. "Don't you like this? I know I do."

"No!" Looking scandalized, he pulled his hands away. "Thank about what you're doing! You're married to my brother. And I'm dating your best friend!"

"So?" She winked. "When you're hot you're hot." She kissed him and ran her fingers through his hair. "You don't expect me to ignore that, do you?" She pulled away and saw that he was covered in sweat. "You're so hot," she said. "You wanna go somewhere where you can cool down?"

He was breathing heavily. She turned to move away, giving him a come hither glance. He hesitated for a moment before he grabbed her arm and pulled her against the pool table, planting fiery kisses down her arm and throat.

She breathed in sharply. "Go out to the car and wait for me," she said in a throaty voice. "I'll meet you in a minute."

Once he was gone, she took her phone out of her purse and called Klaus. "I got Stefan. Elena's at the boardinghouse. Damon's out so it should be easy to pick her up. I'll see you in twenty minutes. Bye, babe."

* * *

><p>When Selina arrived at Doctor Stensrund's, she took Stefan by the hand and let him to the front door. She knocked. It was Elena who answered. "Hey!" she said cheerfully. "Klaus was just wondering when the two of you were going to get here. I'll go tell him you've arrived."<p>

Her tone was so cheerful that Selina assumed Klaus's compulsion had worked and she had herself a new best friend. "Look who's here!" Klaus said jovially, appearing out of nowhere with Elena trailing behind him. "Stefan, how nice of you to join us."

"He was happy to come," Selina said.

Stefan was looking at Elena. "And what did they do to you?" He asked her.

"Nothing," Elena shook her head. "What do you want to do to me?"

"The same thing he does every night," Selina said dryly. "I know that for a fact. The two of you are not quiet."

Elena put her arms around him and then pouted. "You smell like Selina's perfume. Why is that?"

"He's been a bad boy," Selina supplied, coming up behind him, slipping her hand under his shirt and caressing his ab muscles. "Haven't you, Stefan?"

"I didn't mean to," Stefan said to Elena, seeming flustered. "It was all Selina's doing. She seems to have some power over me."

"Is that so?" Elena asked, glaring at Selina. "Well I'm not going to let him go without a fight!"

Selina frowned. "There's only one way to settle this, you know."

"I do," Elena said.

"And what's that?" Stefan asked nervously. "You two aren't going to be killing each other, are you?"

"No," Elena said. "We're going to be wrestling each other naked in a pool of blood." She turned on him. "Would you like to watch?"

"You don't even need to ask," Selina told her. "Something about the male mind is titillated by the thought of watching two women get in touch with themselves. Right, Stefan? I don't care how good you think you are." She began laughing. Stefan had a look in his eyes like a scared rabbit.

"The tub's all filled up," Klaus said. "You two can start whenever you're ready."

* * *

><p>"What are all the extra blood bags for?" Stefan asked as they entered the bathroom.<p>

"They're for you." Klaus told him. "I know you used to be good once. I wouldn't mind having a wingman. Besides, Elena's going to be with us for awhile and I'm sure, what with her being so attached to you and all, she wouldn't mind having you around either." He handed Stefan a bag of blood. "Drink it," he ordered, squeezing Stefan's shoulder hard. Stefan finished off the bag just as Elena and Selina entered and slowly shed their blue and purple silk bathrobes. Then, they slowly and gracefully stepped into the tub and looked at Klaus appealingly. "Is Stefan coming in?" Elena asked.

Stefan choked on the last of the blood he had in his mouth. "You want me to come _in?"_

_"_Of course we do," Selina said. "It's not going to be any fun in here by ourselves."

Cautiously, he approached the bathtub and Selina and Elena helped him out of his clothes. Then, they watched closely as he stepped in with them. They waited until he was covered in blood, and then they began to lick it off various parts of his body. Then, he did the same to them. Meanwhile, he kept taking blood bags from Klaus, taking less and less time to finish each bag as time went on. Finally, there were no bags left. Stefan's fangs were bared, his eyes had changed, and he began nipping the girls and thrusting with such fury that their screams of pleasure could be heard throughout the house. When they were all tired out, Selina and Elena decided to rest by exploring each other. After they finished, Stefan led Elena to one room and Klaus led Selina to the other. After that, the house was silent.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Selina woke up more aware than any of the previous nights. "So did you get what you wanted?" She asked Klaus sharply.<p>

"Indeed I did," he said, grinning. He looked at the clock. "It's not even morning anymore," he said wryly. "It's two in the afternoon. Although I'm not surprised you slept so long. You and Elena worked very hard last night."

"You seem proud that you made me experiment," she said.

"It _is _the male dream my dear," Klaus said simply. "What can I say?"

Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Klaus opened it and saw Elena and Stefan standing on the other side. "Just to make things interesting," Stefan said as he slipped into the room, "we were thinking about switching partners tonight." He gazed at Selina appealingly. "Would that bother you?"

Selina felt sick. She put her bathrobe on, grabbed her cell phone and ran to the bathroom where she called Damon. "Elijah's body is at the hideout," she told him. "Go and pull the dagger out. Klaus is out of control and Elijah's the only one who can help us. How bad is it? Well, he compelled Elena and now she's as dippy as I am at night only with her it's all the time, and you remember what Stefan was like after you two turned? Well, good times are here again."

After Damon promised to go get Elijah, she turned off the phone, peeking out the bathroom door to where Elena, Stefan and Klaus stood waiting. "Good God," Selina whispered. "It's like living in the Playboy Mansion."


	9. Menage A Trois

Then she shut the bathroom door and tried to control her breathing. "It'll be all right," she said to herself. "I can deal with this." A moment later, there was a knock on the door. "Are you coming out, Selina?" Stefan called.

Selina took a deep breath and stood up. "Sure," she called. "Just a minute." Then she strode toward the door and pulled it open. "So," she said. "It's afternoon. The sun's out."

"So?" Elena asked.

"So," Selina said, "That means that I don't have to be here if I don't want to and the three of you will just have to deal with it."

"Let me guess," Klaus said, rolling his eyes. "You're going to go shower because you're 'tainted.'"

Selina nodded as she began throwing her clothes on. "Isn't that what I always do?" she asked. After she was dressed, she headed out the bedroom door.

"Where's she going?" Stefan asked.

"I'm guessing she's going back home," Klaus said. "Would you mind watching her for me?"

"Do you want me bring her back?" Stefan asked.

"No," Klaus shook her head. "She's _boring_ during the day. You can have her if you want," he said, giving Elena a look.

Stefan nodded and left the room, running into Selina in the front hallway, just as she was about to leave. "I remember what you did to me last night," he said. "And it worked."

"Listen," Selina said. "Whatever happened between us last night, whatever I said or did, it didn't mean anything. It was my werewolf gene talking and my werewolf gene turns me into a whore. You're my brother in law for God's sake! You're dating Elena! You don't want to sleep with me. Go sleep with her!"

"Klaus wants her," Stefan said. "He says you're too boring during the day." He began running his tongue slowly over her throat.

"Right," Selina said unsteadily. "He thinks I'm boring, so you should too!" She breathed in sharply. "Oh, God, do you have to do that?"

"Why?" Stefan asked. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes," Selina said shakily. "Of course there's a problem. I don't like this at all!"

Stefan shifted her around and began nipping at the sensitive area underneath her chin, then moved up to her lips. "I don't think the problem is that you don't like this," he said. "The problem is that you _do_ like this, a little too much. You just don't want to admit it." He pulled away and grinned at her devilishly. "Am I right?"

"Take me home," Selina said, swallowing. "Take me home right now!"

"All right," Stefan sighed. "Whatever." He led her out to his car and drove her home, but much to Selina's dismay, they made a detour to the parking lot of the abandoned grocery store en route so the trip took twice as long.

"I hate you," Selina said, straightening out her skirt as soon as they were finished. "I never thought I'd say that, but right now, I really, _really_ hate you!"

Stefan laughed. "Didn't seem like that half an hour ago."

Selina frowned. "Oh, just shut up and drive, all right?"

* * *

><p>When they finally arrived at the boardinghouse, Selina hurried in and rushed to the library where she found Damon poring over a book. "And just where have <em>you <em>been all day?" He asked, shutting the book and gazing up at her.

"I haven't been anywhere!" Selina said, laughing nervously. "Well, I have, but nowhere important."

"I saw on the news this morning that you apparently didn't kill anyone last night," Damon said. "Good for you." He stood up and put his arms around her. "You wanna go upstairs?" He asked. "And make up for lost time?"

"Um," Selina said, "ordinarily, I'd say yes, but some things have come up that you need to know about, and after you know about them, you might not want to come near me for quite awhile."

"Why?" Damon frowned. "I thought you said you didn't kill anyone last night."

"I didn't," Selina said. "Did you get Elijah like I asked you to?"

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "He's at the hideout. What's going on?"

Just then, there was a knock at the library door. "That's Stefan," Selina said. "I'm going to hide, and when he comes in here, don't tell him where I am, okay? 'Cause I swear he's going to be looking for me."

"Oh, because he's all rippery again?" Damon asked. "Does he want to kill you?"

"No," Selina shook her head and scruched herself under the desk. "That's not exactly it."

Damon opened the library door and Stefan strode in. "Hey," he said. "You haven't seen our girlfriend around here, have you? I saw her come in."

"_Our_ girlfriend?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you mean 'your wife'? As in, 'you haven't seen your wife around here'?"

"Not quite," Stefan said. "She isn't entirely attracted to you anymore."

"Excuse me?" Damon asked. He went over to the desk Selina was hiding under. "What the hell is he talking about?"

Stefan looked under the desk too. "Somebody's been a _bad_ girl."

Selina shut her eyes. "That's why we were so late getting back," she said. "We stopped for a quickie in the abandoned grocery story parking lot."

"Well!" Damon said, looking between the two of them. "This is just great!"

"In my defense," Selina said, "I _did _tell you that you weren't gonna wanna get close to me once you found out."

Damon nodded. "You're damn right about that," he said before striding from the library.

As soon as he was gone, Stefan pulled Selina out from under the desk. "Now that he's gone, where were we?"

"We were nowhere," Selina said. "And we never will be again as long as I'm consciously aware of it." She ran from the library and up to her and Damon's bedroom, where he was packing his things. "Where are you going?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I don't really care, as long as it's away from you."

"You are such a hypocrite," Selina said.

"No, I'm not," Damon said calmly. "I admit I've been with numerous women over the years while we were still engaged but it wasn't like any of them was a blood relative of yours."

"Is that why you won't forgive me now, even though you forgave me for Mason, Tyler and Michael?"

"Exactly," Damon nodded and shut his suitcase. "Goodbye. You and Stefan have a nice life."

"Wait!" Selina said. "You can't go yet. Just let me explain. Stick around and tonight, you'll see why I did what I did. Please."

Damon shook his head. "No. I need time to deal with this," he said. "I'm going to Ric's and if I feel better in the morning, I'll come back."

Selina sighed. "All right," she said. She watched him go and tried not to cry. As soon as he was gone, she grabbed her keys and headed for Elijah's to confess her latest host of sins. Maybe he'd help her find a way out.

* * *

><p>When she arrived at the old hideout and went inside, she was greeted by silence. "Elijah?" Selina called out. "Are you here?"<p>

"Here you are again," he said, coming down the stairs. "What did that awful temper of yours make you do now?"

"Wow," she said. "I would have thought you'd be more angry at me, seeing as how it was my fault you got that dagger plunnged into you."

He sighed. "I can't say the sight of you fills me with joy, but I have to conserve my rage for the being that really deserves it."

"Klaus," Selina nodded. "He's exactly why I came over here. He made me do something bad. Worse than kill seven people, five of whom happened to be young children. See, he knew that Stefan used to be a ripper, so he wanted him on his side. He asked me to get Stefan for him, and I told him that I wouldn't unless he did something for me. That something was making it so I could have my best friend with me all the time, regardless of whether it was day or night. Basically, Elena is now as dippy as I am during full moons because Klaus compelled her. Then, I brought Stefan over to Doctor Stensrund's and he, Elena and I spent the entire night in each other's company, please don't make me revisit what we did. Now, Stefan's in full ripper mode and drawn to me. We had sex in the abandoned grocery store parking lot on the way back to the boardinghouse this morning, and now that Damon knows, stuff between the two of us has just fallen apart! He actually is planning on moving out of the house and says he doesn't know if he'll ever forgive me."

Elijah cleared his throat. "You came over here to ask me how to mend your relationship with Damon when we have far worse problems to deal with?"

"You didn't give me time to ask you what I should do about Klaus," Selina said. "I was going to ask you about that too!"

"Well," Elijah said, "as long as Damon seems determined about your separation, this might be a good time for you to do a little experiment."

"This has to do with Klaus, right?" Selina said.

Elijah nodded. "Of course it does. Anyway, we've already established that you have a very strong physical affection for Klaus when you're being controlled by your werewolf gene. Is that correct?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "That's correct."

"And are you certain that Klaus feels the same way about you?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. I've never been able to be away from him long enough to find out."

"Well," Elijah said, coming around to stand behind her. "Don't you think it's about time you found out so you don't feel so used and become a doormat?"

"Yes," Selina said. "But I don't know if my body will agree with that."

"Well," Elijah said, "when you were with me did you go running to Klaus?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "No, I didn't. I stayed right where I was."

"Exactly," Elijah said. "So for the next, let's say, three days or so, stay away from Klaus and seek satisfaction from someone else. Stefan would probably be your best bet since he's closest. Then, we'll be able to see the effect being without you has on my brother."

"You know," Selina said, "that's a very good idea. Thank you."

Elijah nodded. I just hope you're able to remember it tonight."

* * *

><p>With a renewed sense of hope, Selina went back to the boardinghouse. Just as she was coming inside, she ran into Damon, who was in the process of moving his stuff out. "You're still here," she said, surprised. "I would have thought that you'd have been gone by now."<p>

"As you can see," Damon said shortly, "I'm working on it. Stefan's looking for you. You might want to go tell him you're back."

Selina rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, listen to yourself! Do you have _any_ idea what I'm like at night?"

"I think I do," Damon nodded. "But I don't want to say, because it wouldn't be polite."

"_Exactly_," Selina nodded. "I didn't sleep with Stefan last night because I have any feelings for him. I slept with him because he was _there_. Now, given that logic, it would make sense for you to be here tonight because you might get some as well. With a few adjustments of course. It would be an understatement for me to say that werewolf gene controlled me is a little freaky. So," she asked, "will you stay? Please? And if you still hate me tomorrow, you can go to Ric's and I won't stand in your way."

He sighed. "All right," he said. "But this better be worth my while."

* * *

><p>That night, as soon as the moon came up, Damon went downstairs and found Selina watching television in the living room. "How are you feeling?" He asked.<p>

"Bored," Selina said, looking at him. "Stefan's gone off somewhere and I'm bored." Then, she looked him over. "I suppose you'll do. I just need you to do one thing for me."

"And what's that?" Damon asked, sitting next to her.

"Go out and kill something or someone. I find a man covered in blood very sexy." She winked at him and he felt a shiver of desire go through his body that was unlike anything else he'd ever felt for her. "All right," he said, standing up. "I'll be back in half an hour. You just wait here."

He returned half an hour later, covered face to foot in fresh blood. When she looked at him curiously, he grinned. "Hikers," he said. "They were lost. The animals will probably finish them off."

She laughed. "Very good," she said as she began to remove his shirt and run her hands over his ab muscles, licking the blood off his chest. "What do you say we go up to my room?" he whispered.

"Your room?" She shook her head. "That's no fun. I was thinking more along the lines of the solarium."

"But that has glass walls," he protested. "Someone could see us!"

"I know," she laughed again. "Isn't that a kick?"

He nodded and followed her to the solarium, where they spent a very enjoyable hour. But a knock on one of the walls interrupted them. "Here you are," said a voice. "Were you so impatient that you couldn't wait for me?"

Selina pulled away from Damon and looked up. "Duh," she said. "You left, he was here. What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"Well I'm here now," Stefan said, glaring at his brother. "So if you would kindly clear out before I make the decision for you."

Damon stood up. "No," he said. "She's my wife. I can be with her as long as I want."

They went on arguing for quite some time before Selina finally went between them and pushed them apart. Then, she got a twinkle in her eye. "You know, boys," she said. "You don't _have _to fight like this. There's enough of me to go around."

"Hell, no!" they said at the same time.

Selina glared at Stefan. "Take what you can get," she said. "Because at the rate you're going, it's all you're going to be getting. And you," she turned back to Damon. "You wouldn't want to wreck our evening would you? It's been going so well." She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him soundly. When she pulled away, his expression was blank. "All right," he said. "Whatever."

Taking each one of them by the hand, Selina led them up to her room. She was kept pretty busy the rest of the night and when she finally shut her eyes, it was out of sheer exhaustion.

* * *

><p>When she opened her eyes the next morning, she was pleased to see that it was Damon kissing her neck. "Yes," she whispered.<p>

"Wow," he said. "I haven't even done anything yet."

"Oh," she said. "That wasn't an orgasm yes. That was a 'for the first time in three days I'm waking up in bed and not saying-'

It was then that Stefan sighed and rolled over, his eyes meeting hers. She screamed. "What the hell did I _do_ last night?


	10. Talk Dirty to Me

She quickly turned away from Stefan's grinning face, covered herself up with her sheet and shut her eyes. "All right," she said to herself. "I'm not here. I'm having a nightmare like those ones where people show up at school naked. When I open my eyes, I will be in my room, but I'll be in bed with Damon and Stefan won't be there." She took a deep breath and opened one eye. Stefan was still grinning at her. "Oh, hell," she whispered. "It's all real!" She threw the sheet aside and got out of bed, throwing on a bathrobe. "So tell me you two," she said dryly."How was I last night?"

"I wish I could tell you," Stefan said. "But Damon mostly kept you all to himself."

"Of _course _I did," Damon said. "She's my wife after all. And don't you forget that!"

Selina sighed and threw her hands up. "Listen, you two, I'm going to shower and dress, then I'm going to go talk to Uncle Jacob and find out what the hell is going on with me so we _never_ have to go through this again." She turned away and went into the bathroom, turning the shower on and scrubbing with all of her might. A few minutes later, Damon came in. "You need some help?" He aked. "Because I'll come in there and help you if you want."

"Usually I'd say yes," Selina called back. "But I think I just need to be alone for awhile."

After she finished washing herself off and drying her hair, she put her bathrobe back on and went into the bedroom again. "What?" she asked, incredulous at the hopeful look on Stefan's face. "Did you think I was going to leave the bathroom without my robe? God, your mind's really gone into the gutter, hasn't it?"

"No," Stefan said.

Selina rolled her eyes and put on a demure light blue sundress and white kitten heel pumps. "Going to see Uncle Jacob now. I have no idea if I'll be coming back or not. I'll call eventually." And with that, she ran from the house as fast as she could, threw herself into her car, and drove as fast as she could to the Lockwood mansion. She parked the car in the driveway and burst in, causing Caroline and Tyler, who were watching a movie, to start.

"Are you all right?" Caroline asked. "Has something happened?"

"You killed someone last night, didn't you?" Tyler asked.

"What's going on?" Amelia suddenly appeared. "What was that loud banging noise?"

"It was your daughter not so gracefully entering the house. We think something happened," Tyler said.

"Did it?" Amelia asked. "Did you kill someone else?"

"No," Selina shook her head and sank down on the loveseat. "What I did was much, much worse."

Amelia's brows knitted. "And what could be worse than killing someone?"

Selina shook her head. "You_ really _don't want to know," Selina told her. "Where's Uncle Jacob? I need to talk to him!"

"What's so bad that you can tell it to your uncle but you can't tell me?" Amelia demanded.

"It's about my werewolf gene," Selina said. "It's making me do terrible, terrible things."

"Ah," Amelia said. "So you _did_ kill someone last night."

"Yeah," Selina nodded wryly. "They died in my arms last night."

Tyler snorted.

"What's so funny about her killing someone?" Amelia demanded of him.

Grinning, he shook his head. "She didn't kill anyone. She just probably had sex with someone she shouldn't. Or some_ones_ considering her use of the plural when she changed the song lyrics."

"What song lyrics?" Amelia asked. "Selina Amelia Elizabeth Warren, what is he talking about?"

"Who cares?" Selina said wearily. "Just go get Uncle Jacob and you'll find out everything, no matter how dirty or shameful it is."

Amelia gazed at her daughter for a long moment and then went to the library to get her brother.

* * *

><p>"All right," Jacob said a few minutes later. "What's going on?"<p>

Selina sighed. "My werewolf gene is making me out of control," she said. "Ever since I became a hybrid, I've killed _way _more people than I've meant to, and for the past several nights, I've gone to bed not knowing who I was going to wake up with. Actually, it's only gotten worse since I became a hybrid. Before that, yes I killed and was sexually promiscuous, but it was _only _during the full moon. Now it's every night. With all your knowledge, do you have some way to make it stop so I can go back to being my regular self again?"

Jacob was eyeing her curiously. "You say that as long as you've been a vampire, you've been angrier and more promiscuous during the full moon?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Not to mention I've committed several unintentional murders."

"What about when you were human?" Jacob asked. "Any problems with anger then?"

Selina nodded. "When I was six, I attacked Uncle Charlie's overseer. And I admit I wasn't a happy child and I had frequent violent fantasies about brutally murdering Yankee soldiers, but I thought that was just catharsis and a reaction to my less than ideal childhood."

"It could be," Jacob said, "but it could also be something else. Something connected with your werewolf gene." He looked over at his sister. "Rosie," he said, "what was it like when Selina was born? In terms of weather and such I mean?"

"Halloween," Amelia said. "It was a clear night and very chilly. But I asked Matthew to keep the windows open the entire time I was in labor."

"Why would you do that if it was cold?" Jacob asked.

She shrugged. "It was a full moon and I found the sight comforting. Probably _my _werewolf gene acting up."

"Well there you go," Jacob said. "That's the reason. Since Selina was born during a full moon, while you were in labor, your hormones and your werewolf gene were acting up. And all that extra contact made her more likely to show lycanthropic traits such as the temper outside of the full moon period."

"So," Selina said, "Because I was born during a full moon to a mother who had the werewolf gene, it made me kinda more werewolfy than other people in the family?"

"In a sense, yes." Jacob nodded. "Your gene has always been a bit more active than everyone else's because of the circumstances under which you were born. And now that you're a hybrid, it's even more of the same."

"All right," Selina sat down, took a deep breath, and ran her fingers through her hair. "Now that we know what's _causing_ me to act like a complete and total lunatic, could you tell me a way to fix it?"

"Have you been avoiding your mate?" Jacob asked. "Your werewolf side doesn't like it when you avoid your mate."

"Of course I've been avoiding him," Selina nodded. "He's a power hungry, narcissistic psychopath and I hate his guts."

"But when you avoid him, your body seeks satisfaction in other ways, usually unpleasant." Jacob said. "What has it made you do recently?"

Selina looked at her mother. "I don't want to talk about it," she said. "I'd rather gouge out my eyes instead."

Caroline gasped. "You slept with your father last night?"

"NO!" Selina shook her head. "I was at home last night. I slept with Damon for the first time in days. Unfortunately, my loving and thoughtful mate had also corrupted Stefan, who had _way_ too much blood and has taken a liking to me, and Stefan joined us."

"Wait," Caroline said. "Last night, you had a threesome with your husband and your brother in law?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Like I said, "I'll just gouge out my eyes and be on my way."

* * *

><p>""How'd the chat with your uncle go?" Damon asked when she got back to the boardinghouse. "Did he tell you anything useful?"<p>

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Apparently, the reason why I occasionally turn into a raging violent nymphomaniac is because Mama gave birth to me during a full moon when _her_ werewolf gene was acting up, so it's always been a little more active in me than it has in the others."

"What about ways to stop your nightly romps?"

"No luck there," Selina scoffed. "Short of going back to Klaus that is. But Elijah had an idea. He said I should try and stay away from Klaus for the next couple of days and see what happens."

"So we're going to have another threesome tonight?" Damon asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm not going to let anything happen. I'm going to go back to the mansion, and there I will stay, using drastic measures, until the sun comes up tomorrow."

* * *

><p>""You want us to <em>what<em>?" Caroline asked, staring at Selina with wide eyes.

"I'm going to run the bath water and then I want you to fill it with the mixture of vervain and wolfsbane," Selina said patiently. "Then, I'm going to sit in there and not move all night."

"But won't that hurt?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "But if I'm thinking about how much pain I'm in, then I won't be thinking about how much I want to go have sex with Klaus. It's a lesser of two evils thing. And just to be sure I don't leave the tub, I want you to chain me up, too."

Caroline and Tyler were eyeing her doubtfully. "Are you _sure_ you want to do this?" Tyler asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded resolutely. "And no matter how much I cry or scream, you're not to help me out. Do you understand me? This is so important."

Finally, they both nodded, and as Selina turned on the tub, they dumped the vervain and wolfsbane into the water.

Selina watched it absorb for a few minutes, then stripped off her clothes and got in. Immediately, she began screaming, struggling as Caroline and Tyler both worked to chain her so she couldn't leave the tub. When she was firmly settled in, they left the bathroom. Selina was crying in earnest now, tears running down her cheeks in waves. About half an hour later, Amelia happened by the bathroom. "What is that screaming?" She asked, looking worriedly at Tyler and Caroline who were stationed by the bathroom door and trying to keep their expressions neutral. "Is that Selina in there?"

"Yes," Caroline said after a moment. "But you can't go in there! She told us not to let anyone come in!"

"I don't care what she told you," Amelia said. "My daughter is in there and it sounds like she's in horrible pain." And with that, she knocked Caroline out of the way and burst into the bathroom, working quickly to free Selina from the chains and get her out of the tub. Once Selina was clear of it, however, they began to notice something unsettling, as right before their eyes, she transformed. They watched her nervously a second before she sprang at Caroline. Caroline let out a scream as she tried to keep Selina from biting her. Finally, Tyler grabbed a baseball bat and whacked Selina soundly over the head with it.

Whimpering, she rolled off Caroline and became still. They took her into the bedroom where they watched her change back into herself, dazed and nearly unconscious. They dressed her in her pajamas and a bathrobe, handcuffing her to a chair until the sun came up and then putting her to bed.

* * *

><p>Tyler and Caroline were the ones who checked on Selina the next morning. "How's your head?" Tyler asked her. "I didn't mean to hit you so hard."<p>

"No," Selina winced. "It's good you did. Not all vampires can recover from a werewolf bite like I can." She looked over at Caroline. "I'm really sorry."

Caroline sighed. "It's all right," she said. "I had Tyler and your mom looking out for me. I knew they weren't going to let anything bad happen. Your mom says she wants you to stay in bed today."

Selina sat up and shook her head. "Nope, sorry. That's not going to happen. I have to get dressed and then I've got some errands to run. Very necessary errands."

Caroline sighed. "All right," she said. "Just be careful."

Selina nodded. "I will. Thanks." She went into her closet and put on a dark red corset top, black leather pants and a black leather jacket along with black stiletto boots that had a six inch heel. She put on red lipstick and circled her eyes with dark black liner. Once she was dressed, she looked up at Tyler and Caroline, who were gazing at her, stunned. "Just where are you going to do these errands?" he asked.

She sighed. "It's tough to explain, and I will later, I promise. But now, I have to go." As she headed out of the house, she ran into her dad. "Wow," he said as he looked at her outfit. "I didn't know any night clubs were open during the day."

"They aren't," Selina said. "I just have to go see somebody."

Matthew was looking as if he wanted to bundle her up and lock her in her room, but finally, he capitulated. "All right," he nodded. "I trust you. But please just be careful with yourself, all right?"

Selina nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "All right, Daddy. I will."

She left the house and drove over to Doctor Stensrund's. Just as she was coming inside, she saw Elena coming down the stairs. "Well," Elena said, "look who finally decided to grace us with her presence. Love the outfit, by the way."

"Thanks," Selina nodded. "But you couldn't have been that bored. I'm sure you and Klaus found ways to entertain yourself in my absence."

"Actually no," Elena said glumly. "We tried once, but he found me dull and uninspired. Things got pretty quiet around here after that."

"It's okay," Selina put a hand on her shoulder. "You just aren't his type. But Stefan's back at the house and I have a feeling he's a little lonely. You want to go keep him company?" She handed Elena her keys and the other girl was out like a shot.

Selina smiled and turned away from the door when another voice met her ears. "Well, well, well," Klaus said, coming up behind her and running his fingers through her hair. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? Where _have_ you been?"

"Busy," Selina said, pulling away as he put his arms around her.

"Doing what?" He asked. "What could possibly keep you so busy that you forget to come and see me?"

"Well," Selina turned and gave him a wicked grin. "Let me tell you: night before last, Stefan took me home and we had _quite _an enjoyable evening. That is, until my husband showed up. But it ended up going al right. And then last night, you're really going to love this. Wait till I tell you how I spent last night."

Klaus was grinning widely now. "I'm all ears," he said. "Don't hold back."

Selina leaned in. "I spent last night chained naked in a bathub full of vervain and wolfsbane filled water," she said in a stage whisper. "It hurt like hell."

"Oh, really?" Klaus' eyebrows went into his hair. "You like pain?"

She nodded. "Sometimes. Like last night, I was all alone so I spent the time when I wasn't screaming getting to know myself, which I did pretty thoroughly if I may say so."

This made Klaus growl. He and Selina leaned forward until their lips were almost touching and then she pulled away. "Well," she said cheerily, "goodbye."

"Goodbye?" He said. "You can't just talk dirty to me and then leave!"

"Is that so?" Selina asked. "I would have thought you'd thank me for it."

He frowned. "Thank you for it? Why?"

"Because," Selina said, coming back towards him again and ushering him into a living room chair. "You get more turned on by my resistance than when I give in. Admit it."

He began breathing fast. She straddled him. "What a clever girl you are," he said. "Now, tell me why."

"It's because we're hunters, Klaus," she said. "When we go after prey, they have three reactions: they either surrender, run, or fight. You've been alive for thousands of years, and I'm the first woman who's ever fought you. I'm a challenge. I make the thrill of the hunt sing in your blood. I'm the first woman who's really...grabbed you." He growled as her hand found his crotch.

He captured her mouth in his. "You're saying I'm more turned on by your resistance than having you? Prove it," he said, once he pulled away.

"All right," Selina grinned. "Let's go up to the attic. Doctor Stensrund used to chain me up there and beat me so I would become the savage killer that he wanted me to be. You wanna give it a shot?"

"Yes," he said. "Yes, I do."

* * *

><p>Minutes later, they were in the attic, and Selina had stripped and chained herself to the wall. "Oh, look at this," she said lightly. "I'm totally and completely helpless," she said to Klaus as he eyed her hungrily. "I can't fight back. What are you going to do about it?" A minute later, the whipping began. The more she struggled and cried out, the more aroused Klaus became, lapping up the blood that dripped from the wounds on her naked body. Finally, she became so weak that she fainted. Klaus eyed her for a moment, then unchained her and slowly brought her to the floor. Her wounds still looked angry. He ran his hands over the ones on her stomach, then went downstairs to get a can of whipped cream, which he sprayed liberally over her beaten body, and then slowly licked off, thoroughly enjoying her whimpers as he worked his way around her. Then, he carried her upstairs and set her down on her bed, shutting the door behind him.<p>

* * *

><p>As soon as he was gone, Selina opened her eyes and ran to the shower. She quickly cleaned herself off, put on a bathrobe and headed back downstairs, where she found Klaus drinking and staring morosely at the television.<p>

"Well, look at you," she said, coming to sit next to him. "I've never seen someone look so bored in my life. It would seem that I was right."

He took her chin in his hand and kissed her soundly. "Yes, you were right, I admit it." He said. "You are a very sneaky, devilish woman. Were you faking being hurt?"

"Well," Selina shifted. "That wasn't the first time I've been chained naked or nearly naked to a wall and beaten."

He nodded. "Doctor Stensrund. You told me."

She nodded. "That and when the sheriff found out I was a vampire. She and her deputies showed up at the house, shot me full of vervain, threw me in the back of the police car, and then drove me to the station, where they stripped me practically down to nothing, chained me to the wall so I wouldn't get away, and then doused me with vervain in between beatings to weaken me. The sheriff tried to stake me too, but man did she get hers."

"You killed her?" Klaus asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I wasn't strong enough so Damon had to. But I wish I could have." She pouted and Klaus kissed her again. "You know," he said, "you and I are going to have some amazing children."


	11. Mother In Law

Selina scoffed. "When you say 'amazing children' you really mean 'children that you're going to dump off on me while you go frolicking off and making messes of things'. Then our kids are going to be corrupted, most likely by you, and I'm going to have to explain _that_ away. I just don't think I'm ready to have children yet."

"You mean in addition to the one that you already have?" Klaus asked, eyebrow rising.

"Well that's different," Selina shot back. "Joshua's not a raving lunatic."

"Oh, all right," Klaus said smoothly. "So we'll leave the children for now and discuss them again at a time when you feel more amenable."

"Maybe I will when you recognize that I'm just as powerful as you and without me, you wouldn't be able to do anything you want to," Selina told him.

He laughed. "Well that's something I'm _never_ going to recognize. You never will be as powerful as me. I'm the ultimate threat. You're just a minor annoyance."

"Oh?" Selina asked. "That's a fine way to talk to the woman you want to bear your children! If you want anything out of me, you might want to be a bit nicer!" She got up to leave and he caught her by the kitchen table, throwing her up against it and kissing her hard. "You know," she breathed, "I hate it when we fight."

He unbuttoned her pants and pushed them down. Then, he pulled her to him, kissing her neck and she moaned and wiggled out of her panties. Then he leaned her over the kitchen table and _really_ made her scream. Just as she recovered, the phone rang. "What's that?" She asked, dazed.

"Who cares?" Klaus said dismissively. "Ignore it. Now, where were we?"

She pushed him to arms' length. "I think I need a break," she panted. "You're way too energetic for me sometimes."

He kissed her hand. "All right," he said. "You rest, I'll go see who's on the phone." He winked. "But we're not done yet, I promise you that." He kissed her deeply one more time and when he pulled away, she giggled like an idiot. He then strode over and snatched up the phone so hard it almost came out of the wall. "What do you want?" he growled.

"Niklaus," said the voice on the other end of the line. "Come and see me. We need to talk."

"I can't," Klaus snapped. "I'm a little busy right now, Elijah." He paused. "What am I doing?"

Selina pulled off her shirt and strode toward him, snatching the phone away. "He's doing me," she said lightly. "Good morning, Elijah. How are you?"

"What are _you _doing there?" Elijah asked her, stunned. "I thought we decided that you were going to stay away from him."

"Oh, and I did," Selina assured him. "I did for two whole days. But in the end, he was much too difficult to resist."

"Please tell me you're kidding," Elijah told her.

"No," Selina said. "I wouldn't kid about something like this."

"Well," Elijah said tightly. Selina could tell he was beginning to lose his patience. "We'll talk about that later. Now give Niklaus back the phone."

Selina pulled the phone off her ear. "He wants to talk to you again."

Klaus, who'd been staring very intently at Selina's naked body, blinked. "What?"

"He wants to talk to you again," she repeated.

"Oh, fine," Klaus said, making sure to run his hands over her torso before he took the phone back. "What is it we need to talk about?"

"I've been noticing things," Elijah said hesitantly. "Strange things. Look out the window, would you?"

Klaus zipped his pants up and told Selina to put on a robe before he opened the window. It was then that he saw the dogs everywhere and heard the screaming of the terrified townsfolk as they ran from the very feral-looking animals. "Oh, damn," he said. "They're here. Or at least Lily is. I don't know about the rest of them."

"They wouldn't let Lily go anywhere by herself, so I think we can safely assume that if_ she's_ here, the rest of them aren't far behind," Elijah said. "Prepare yourself, brother. That's all we can do."

As Klaus hung up the phone, Selina came back in, tying up the front of a purple silk bathrobe. "You look tense," she said. "I can help you with that."

"No," Klaus said. "I'm not tense. Far from it."

Selina smiled. "Oh. What did Elijah want to tell you?"

"Just that my parents are in town. And my siblings."

"When are they coming?" Selina asked brightly. "I should probably meet them, even if I don't want to have your children yet."

"Actually," Klaus said, "what you're going to do is get dressed, go home, and don't come back until I say."

"Why?" Selina bristled, frowning and losing her light manner. "Do you not WANT them to meet me? Are you ashamed of me?"

"If it'll make you go away, then yes, I am." Klaus said."

Selina's eyes narrowed into little slits. "I would just _love_ to slap you right now."

"As long as you leave, I don't care _what_ you do," Klaus said.

Selina shook her head and stomped away to dress. Then, she headed out to her car and drove away. Once she was gone, Klaus headed for Elijah's.

* * *

><p>"You look like you could use a drink," Elijah said when he met him at the door. "I would think of all people you'd be <em>enthused <em>about the family showing up again."

"For the most part I am," Klaus said.

"Let me guess though, you're worried about what Mother is going to say when she finds out that you want Selina to be your mate," Elijah said.

"Exactly. I mean, Selina's fun and everything, but she's not exactly the most evil one of them all. There's still a lot of good in her. And Mother's going to abhor that attitude she has that makes her believe women are equal to men. She actually demanded that I treat her as an equal this morning. Can you believe that?" Klaus asked incredulously, taking a large gulp of his drink.

"Actually, I can," Elijah nodded. "She's been that way her whole life. Or did you miss out on that when you and Alistair were snooping through her files?"

"Maybe I can get him to put some sort of spell on her to make that go away," Klaus said.

"I wouldn't advise that," Elijah shook his head. "Just let her be herself. I'm sure she can't make _that_ bad of an impression."

"And I believe you're being naive," Klaus said. "Remember that wing of the house that Mother wouldn't let anyone go in and then you and I snuck in one day while she was gone and found that the place was littered with the bodies of dead and dying girls? Selina gets on Mother's bad side and that's exactly how she could end up."

"Selina's smarter than the peasant girls were," Elijah said patiently. "Just give it a chance."

"Oh, all right," Klaus said. "But if I lose my mate over this, I'm blaming you. Hybrids don't just grow on trees, you know."

* * *

><p>When Selina drove up to the boardinghouse and went inside, Damon and Joshua were waiting for her. "Are you all right, Mother?" Joshua asked, looking concerned.<p>

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all. I think I'm going to go to my room and lie down for a bit." She went to her room to lie down and fell asleep. When she was next aware, Damon was shaking her awake and two hours had passed. "What's going on?" she asked sleepily.

"I figured since it's daytime and you and I have spent next to no time together, that we could go picnic at the Falls," Damon said, hefting a basket. "I made all the food already."

"Do we have to go to the Falls?" Selina asked. "I mean, I love the general idea, but couldn't we have it somewhere else?"

"Are you still scared of the Falls?" Damon asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded vigorously. She seemed more awake now. "You of all people should know that I never learned to swim properly. What if I fell in the water?"

"Do you honestly think I would let you drown?" Damon asked, putting the basket down and sitting beside her. "Wow, that's hurtful."

"Well, no," Selina said. "Of course I don't think that."

"I'm finally going to teach you how to swim in deep water," Damon said. "You're over a hundred years old and it's time you learned how."

Selina sighed. "All right," she said and went to put a red bikini on under a t-shirt and jean shorts. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>"You didn't tell me that this was going to be such a long hike up," Selina said.<p>

"Why?" Damon asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. "Are you getting tired? It looks to me like you're in great shape." His eyes ran over her body appreciatively. "And I mean GREAT shape."

"Aw," Selina kissed him. "You're so sweet. No, what I meant was, it looks like a shorter trip when you're looking at it from the groud."

"Yep," Damon nodded and pulled her up a particularly high rock. "But it's good for the stamina. It makes you feel alive." He paused. "How's your ankle? Do you need more ice?"

"No," Selina sat down on a tree root to check the ice pack on her ankle. She'd twisted it earlier by tripping over another tree root. "It looks all right to me, but thanks for checking."

"No problem," Damon said, taking her hand again. "It's not too much longer to the top."

When they reached the top, Damon put the picnic basket down. "We're here," he said.

"It's a good view." Selina said as she unpacked the picnic basket.

"White wine?" Selina asked as she pulled it out.

"Look," he said. "I know you said that you weren't going to drink anymore, but I figure this is a special occasion."

She nodded. "You're right, it is. One glass won't hurt me."

"Good," Damon said. "But stick it back in the basket, because we aren't drinking it until after we swim. I have to have you alert." She put it back and they ate, chatting lightly. Once the basket was empty, Damon went to the edge of the Falls, stripped off his shirt and jumped into the water, causing Selina to scream.

"I hope you aren't unconscious," she called as she stripped off her own clothes. "Because I can't come down there and rescue you."

Damon resurfaced a second later, laughing. "All right," he said, holding his arms out. "I want you to jump."

Selina shook her head nervously. "It's a little high for that. Can't I just climb down?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "You'll miss the adrenaline rush if you do that. It feels just like flying. You can shut your eyes if it makes you nervous. I'll be right here to catch you."

"All right," Selina took a deep breath, shut her eyes, and jumped, screaming. In a way it was just like flying, besides the fact that she knew she was going to be dead when she hit the water. Then, she actually _did _hit the water, and didn't even flail around at all before she felt Damon's strong arms around her. "Are you all right?" He asked her, his eyes filled with concern. "You did it. Good for you."

"Yeah," she nodded, grinning and laughing. "I _did_ do it, didn't I?" She put her arms around his neck. "What happens now?"

He grinned. "Now you just hold on to me for a little while. Then, we'll begin the lesson."

* * *

><p>They arrived back at the boardinghouse just before sundown. "I guess you have to leave for Klaus' now, don't you?" Damon asked.<p>

"Not tonight," Selina said. "This morning he actually seemed like he wanted me to stay _away_. Something about his mother coming to visit or something."

"What?" Damon's eyes widened. "More Originals are going to show up any minute now and you didn't think to mention it? What do they look like?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. But I'll go call Elijah and ask if it will make it easier on you."

Damon nodded and she strode into the house, dialing the number. "Hey," she said when he answered. "Have your parents shown up yet? What do they look like, because Damon's getting nervous."

"That's wise of him," Elijah said. "And as for my family, when you see them, you'll know who they are." And with that, he hung up.

"Anything?" Damon asked when she came back.

She shook her head. "Not really. He said I'd know them when I see them."

* * *

><p>The next day at school, everyone crowded into the history classroom, but to their surprise, Alaric was missing. "Where do you think he went?" Caroline asked Selina. "Do you think he's sick or something?"<p>

A moment later, a regal, haughty-looking woman with long, light brown hair and dark brown eyes and wearing a black suit strolled into the room. She turned to face them all. "Sit!" she snapped. They sat.

"Your teacher has been taken ill so I will be taking his place," she said, turning to the board, writing on it the plans for the day's lesson: The history of Central Europe with emphasis on Vlad the Impaler. "That's subtle," Selina whispered.

"Who spoke?" The woman turned around quickly and narrowed her eyes at Selina. "Was it you?" She asked.

"Yeah," Selina said. "It was me. I was just curious about the lesson. This isn't where we are."

"I care not," the woma said simply. "And I will be seeing _you_ after class." Her eyes flickered over to Tyler in the next seat. Her eyes lit up. "And you." She turned back to the board. "What did I do?" Tyler whispered.

"Nothing," Selina whispered. "It's a long story."

* * *

><p>After class, Selina waited for the teacher to pronounce sentencing.<p>

"I suppose you're wondering why I asked you to stay," she said as she began to circle Selina.

"Well, I figured it was because you thought me mouthy in class, but if you have other reasons, I'd like to hear them," Selina told her.

"You know my son," she said. "Rather intimately, it seems."

"As a matter of fact, I do," Selina nodded.

The woman glared at her again. "I am known as Elissavetta," she said. "And I don't know if I like you."

"Well, what happens if you don't?" Selina asked.

"I had a servant girl once," Elissavetta said. "She was brushing my hair and pulled out a strand. She was the _first _one to die. There were many others and I have no qualms about adding you to the list, regardless of if you have my son's affections or not."

"Your son doesn't have affection for anyone," Selina said coldly. "To him, I'm just breeding stock. Apparently, being a vampire from a werewolf family made me wife material."

At that, Elissavetta's face changed. A grin slowly spread over her face. "Now that I look at you," she said, you're quite a beautiful girl. I will see you at my son's house tonight. You can meet the rest of the family. Now, call that other nice young man in if you will."

Selina shook her head. "You never learn, do you?" she asked. Then, she left the room and sent Tyler in, hearing Elissavetta's flirtatious giggles all the way down the hallway.


	12. Ladies' Night

After school, Selina went by Tyler's locker and found him standing against it looking dazed. "Are you okay?" Selina asked. "I have a feeling _I'm _going to be wearing that look a lot tonight."

"Yeah," Tyler nodded, letting out his breath. "I'm fine, I guess."

"What did the teacher want to see you about?" Selina prodded.

"Oh," Tyler flushed faintly, coughing. "Um, well..."

Selina nodded and patted him on the back. "I thought that's what it was."

"Don't tell Caroline," Tyler said. "I know I shouldn't have done it, but she was just so damn hard to resist."

"I won't tell Caroline, I promise," Selina said. "And letting our teacher have what she wanted from you was a very good decision. She might have killed you if you refused."

Tyler leaned in. "There's something _weird_ about her," he whispered. "I think she was a _vampire_."

Selina nodded. "She is. One of the oldest vampires in existence as a matter of fact. Good to see your senses are still working properly."

"Yeah," Tyler said, shutting his locker hard. "But what does she _want_? Me? I'm not even sure I can turn!"

"Relax," Selina said. "You were just a distraction. And she wouldn't even _think_ about asking you to change because she has a thing for werewolves. Her name is Elissavetta, and if my life gets completely shot to hell the way Klaus wants it to, she will be my mother in law."

"You're kidding, right?" Tyler asked, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Unfortunately no," Selina said ruefully. "I _wish_ I was. Remember after my accident how that guy Klaus came to pick me up from the hospital and he told me he was my husband and all that?"

"Yeah," Tyler nodded. "Damon said Klaus was one of the most evil vampires ever."

"Yep," Selina nodded. "Elissavetta is Klaus' mother. She didn't like me at first, but once she found out about my particular make-up, I won her favor."

"Oh," Tyler said after a moment. "You mean the whole werewolf-vampire hybrid thing?"

Selina ran her tongue over her lips. "Exactly. Now, I know I told you that I wasn't going to tell Caroline what happened to you today, but I really think you should. If Elissavetta came after you once, she might do it again, and don't you want Caroline to be prepared so that she doesn't try to take Elissavetta on by herself? Because she _will_ be killed if she tries that."

"Really?" Tyler asked. "Fine, I'll tell her."

"Good," Selina smiled. "I have to go break the news to Klaus and Elijah that I met Mommy Dearest. They probably want to know that."

* * *

><p>Instead of heading back to the boardinghouse after school, Selina drove to the hideout and strode in, very pleased when she found Elijah and Klaus sitting in the living room. "Hello, boys," she said.<p>

"Hello," Klaus said. "Would you like a drink? How was school today?"

Selina sat down next to him. "Yes to the first question and as for the second, school was very productive. I learned some stuff, I took some notes and oh, yeah...I met your mother!"

"What?" Elijah asked, his red wine spilling all over his suit and causing him to swear. "How could you have met our mother?"

"She took over for our history teacher today," Selina said simply. "I think she found out about what's going on with us somehow and wanted to see if I was worthy or not."

"Well," Elijah stopped blotting his suit for a moment and ordered her to stand up and move each part of her body in turn. "Amazing," he said in a tone of wonder. "You met mother and it looks like you came out of it with nothing dislocated or broken. And you aren't dead either. You obviously made a good impression."

Klaus handed her a glass of white white and she sat down to drink it. "She threatened to kill me at first, actually," Selina said after she swallowed. "But after I let it slip about the hybrid thing, her attitude changed dramatically. In a good way. Oh, and she wants to have a party here tonight so I can meet everyone else. I thought you might want to know that. Can you pull something together?"

"You're being awfully calm about this," Elijah observed. "I'm impressed."

"Well," Selina took another sip. "What's to be gained from being worried? I've told her what the deal is with me and she was impressed. Now I just have to worry about meeting everyone else. Oh, and there _is _on more thing about her that you might want to know about," she said hesitantly.

"What?" Elijah asked.

"She's taken a liking to my cousin," Selina said, waiting for the axe to fall. "I saw him at the end of the day and I think she wore him out."

Elijah's palm went to his forehead. "Oh, for the love of-! Not again." He looked at Selina. "I hope you aren't too attached to this town because I have a feeling that in the future, there might not be too much of it left."

"Wonderful," Selina said morosely.

"So," Klaus said after a moment, "I'll set up the things for the party. Did she say what time everyone was coming by?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "She just said that she'd see me at your house tonight so I could meet the family. Oh, God, that's a bad idea! It can't be tonight!"

"Why not?" Klaus asked.

"Oh, my God," Selina was beginning to panic. "You of all people should know what I'm like when the moon is out. How...amorous I get. And when I'm around you. Either way, you know what's going to happen tonight? Something I'm going to regret for years to come, that's what's going to happen!"

"That _is_ a problem, isn't it?" Klaus asked, a twinkle in his eye. "Mother wouldn't be too happy if she found you and me displaying our passions in public. How about once we find out what time the party is, you come over early and we'll get it all out of our systems?"

"How early?" Selina asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Klaus said. "We could start now."

"If that's what you're doing," Elijah said, "Then I'm going to leave, try and find Mother, and figure out just what is going on, all right then? Goodbye." He left the house and then Selina and Klaus lapsed into silence. "It's not going to work this way," Selina said finally. "I don't feel a thing. Every other time, you've pissed me off pretty bad first. Now, oddly enough, I have nothing to be mad at you about."

"And I have to say," he added, "when you're clothed and anxious, I find you incredibly dull."

Suddenly, a look came over Selina's face. "I don't think we should try to get it out of our systems now," she said. "I'll come over an hour and a half before the party, and _then w_e'll get it out of our systems. And if there's a chance we might get caught, then so be it. That's part of the thrill, don't you think?" She grinned wickedly.

"There's my girl," Klaus said, catching her around her around the waist and kissing her deeply, bring her body down so she was resting flat on her back on the sofa with him on top of her. They were both breathing hard, his hands creeping under her shirt to caress her stomach and breasts. She nipped at his lip and tasted blood. He pulled up her shirt and began licking her exposed skin, which sent shivers of pleasure through her. Finally, he pulled away. "I should probably let you go now," he said, running his fingers through her hair. "If you want to leave and then come back an hour and a half before the party, that is."

"No," Selina said immediately. "Why ruin a good thing? But let's go upstairs. There's not much room to move around on this damn sofa, is there?"

"That's true," he said, trailing his fingers from collarbone to belly button as he reluctantly got off her. "Meet me in my room. We should have enough space in there."

Just as he headed off in the direction of his room, Selina's phone rang. "Hey," Damon said. "Where are you? Do you know who we're supposed to be looking out for yet?"

"You mean Original-wise?" Selina asked.

"Of course," Damon said.

"I can't tell you much," Selina told him. "I'm over at the old hideout and everyone who's coming is going to meet us later this evening. I'll be able to give you more details tomorrow. But their mom showed up at school today. You can call Tyler for a very thorough account of her. Look, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"All right," Damon said. "Goodbye."

Selina quickly shut the phone off and ran to Klaus' bedroom. "I was wondering what kept you," he said when she opened the door. He, of course, wasn't wearing anything. He approached her and slowly peeled off her shirt. Then, he kissed her again. "What about everything else?" She asked.

"Patience," he said. "I'm certain we have _hours_ of playtime before my family gets here. That gives me time to be thorough, and you know, my love, that I am _very_ thorough."

"Yes," she said, looking into his eyes. "Yes, you are." His kisses moved slowly down her chin and throat and once he reached her collarbone, his hands took over, lingering on her breasts and roaming over her stomach. When he lay his hand on the button of her jeans, she swallowed. "Go ahead," she said huskily. "Go ahead and take them off."

He unbuttoned them and unzipped them slowly, climbing onto the bed to get a better angle. As he leaned over her, Selina began thrashing. He then fell on top of her, kissing her so much that she found it hard to get a breath. She wiggled out of jeans and her panties and then screamed as she felt an awe-inspiring release.

After nearly two hours, she pulled away. "You want me to do you now?" She asked him.

He smiled. "I love a girl with stamina."

* * *

><p>When the phone rang, they reluctantly pulled apart. Selina picked it up. "What's going on?" she asked.<p>

"Mother says she and the girls are coming by in an hour," Elijah said. "She didn't want to overwhelm you with everyone on the first day. Why are you breathing so hard?"

"Exercise," Selina said immediately. "Sit ups, push-ups, that sort of thing."

"Ah," Elijah said. "Well just make sure you finish _exercising_ in enough time to get dressed before everyone arrives at the house, all right?"

"Yes, all right, fine." Selina said. "We'll be ready. Goodbye." She hung up and turned to Klaus. "Elijah says your mother is going to be here in an hour and that she's only bringing your sisters because she didn't want to overwhelm me with too much family at the first meeting."

"That and she didn't want to see her husband pick a fight with me. It always happens," Klaus said. "Well, if they're going to be here in an hour, we might as well get dressed."

"Yeah," Selina said, her voice full of regret.

* * *

><p>AbAn hour later, there was a knock on Klaus' bedroom door. "Niklaus," Elijah called sharply, "Are you and Selina ready yet? Everyone's waiting downstairs." When he got no response except a bunch of giggling, he pushed the door open and groaned. Klaus and Selina were both standing against the dresser in various stages of undress. "All right," Elijah ordered. "Here's what we're going to do: Niklaus, you're going to zip and button up and go downstairs and play host."<p>

"But I'm not ready yet," Selina complained. Her dress was unzipped, the upper torso hanging over the skirt. Her arms weren't in the sleeves, and she was flushed. "Who'll zip me up? And what about my hair?"

"I'll help you," Elijah said shortly while Klaus put himself to rights and headed downstairs.

"We got a little distracted," Selina said sheepishly.

"I can see that," Elijah said as he zipped her up. "Next time you have to dress for some affair, try doing it on your own, or if you need help, call me. Delays like this aren't good."

"Oh, all right," Selina said. "Calm down, will you? Relax. _Breathe. _Are you staying for the party?"

Elijah shook his head. "Thankfully, no. _I _will be with my father and other brothers, who you will meet at a later date."

He ignored her, running a brush roughly through her hair and causing her to cry out in pain. Then, he grabbed pins, putting up her hair before shoving her out the bedroom door.

* * *

><p>"Sorry I'm late," Selina appologized when she appeared in the living room. "I just couldn't figure out what to wear."<p>

"Oh, wonderful," said a girl who looked about thirteen. Her black hair was pulled back in a severe bun and she was deathly pale. "Another one of _them_." She glared at Klaus. "Where'd you pick up this one? A bar somewhere, I bet."

"I'm Selina," Selina told her. "What's your name?"

The girl glared at her with cold, dark eyes. "My name is Lilith," she said. "Not Lil, not Lily, _Lilith."_

"Lilith was the name of a demon goddess," Selina said, trying to make headway with the girl. "Did you know that?"

"Of course I did," she snapped. "I'm not stupid. I make her look like a vaciliating cream puff!"

"Wow," Selina said, leaning away from her a little. "I'm sure you do. Were you responsible for the dogs the other day? That was real genius. It freaked out everybody."

"Of course it did," the girl said dismissively. "But that was just a parlor trick, a simple use of behavioral principles. Any idiot with half a brain could do it. Even you." She looked up at Selina.

Selina felt herself begin to tense. She'd never wanted to kill anyone so much. She growled. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see another girl with long brown hair and green eyes standing behind her. "You'll have to excuse Lilith," she said smoothly. "She's not much of a people person. But if you're going to be joining the family, you'll learn to get used to her. We all have."

"Yes," Lilith snapped again. "That was back when we were still human and you found out i had twice your upper body strength, so shut your mouth, Anna."

"She was thirteen when we turned," Anna whispered. "And because of that, she's always been a bit moody."

Just then, Elissavetta cleared her throat. "That's a lovely dress, dear," she said to Selina. "Rose goes so well with your eyes."

"Why thank you," Selina said.

"Tell us a little about yourself," Elissavetta prompted. "We didn't have much time to talk this morning."

"I could tell you about her," Lilith broke in before Selina could speak. "I bet she and Anna are going to be really good friends. She's vaciliating and shallow. Her parents had the wealth so she just sat back and waited to be given away. Why would you want to use your brain when you look like her?"

Selina sat up. "Listen you little troll," she snapped at Lilith. "I'm going to take that as your own unique way of telling me you think I'm pretty. For your information, my father died when I was an infant, my mother practically drank herself to death by the time I was eight, and thanks to her, I have a little something extra that you _might_ want to know about before say any more things that will make me want to wring your scrawny neck!"

"And just what would that 'something extra' be?" Lilith had been looking bored before, but now she was looking intrigued.

"A werewolf gene," Klaus said grandly, putting his arm around Selina's shoulder. "She, my dear Lilith, has a werewolf gene, fully active and to the many people she's killed over the years, very deadly."

"Really?" Lilith asked.

"Really." Klaus said.

"Yeah," Selina looked at Elissavetta. "The guy who needed to stay after class today, he's a distant cousin of mine, and an incident during a full moon got _his_ gene activated."

"Is that so?" Elissavetta asked, grinning.

Now it was Anna's turn to look morose. "This town is so _small_," she said. "I just _know_ I'm going to get bored. I bet they don't even have good shopping here."

"I know somewhere good," Selina said. "I make a practice of going in and killing the clerks once a month, so then I can just walk in and take whatever I want."

"Designer labels?" Anna asked hopefully.

"What other kind are worth getting?" Selina grinned.

Anna gave her a hug, Elissavetta was grinning, and even Lilith had thawed a little. "This is so perfect," Anna said. "You fit right in. Welcome to the family! It's a shame you can't meet Katherine. We don't know where she went."

"She'll show up eventually," Elissavetta said. Then, she squeezed Selina's hand. "As Anna said, dear, welcome to the family."


	13. Battle Lines

Late that evening, just as the moon was coming up, a young woman with blue eyes and long auburn hair snuck into the woods behind the Lockwood Estate. Then, she got down on her knees, digging around in the dirt and the leaves until she found the particular pile of dirt that she'd been looking for for years. "Aleksandr," she whispered. She took a bag from her shoulder and pulled out two items: a shovel and ball of black yarn with interwoven silver threads that seemed to glow. She put the ball of thread beside her and then began digging. Finally, her shovel hit something hard. She put it down and dug the rest of the way with her hands until the dirt revealed a frozen face that could have been her own, only it was on a young man who was smeared with dirt. His blue eyes were glassy and he was staring blankly up at the moonlit sky. Slowly and gently, she pulled the head from the ground and held it up. The head had been severed from the body and she had no doubt that the rest of the body was close by. After she had ascertained that there were no more body parts in that immediate area, she picked up the head and kissed it, once on each cheek. "Aleksandr," she whispered again. It took a little while, but eventually, she managed to find all the parts of his body, including his torso, where where the white ash dagger protruded. Gingerly, she took it out, wiped it off on her top, and stuck it in her bag. Then, she surveyed all the pieces of her brother that lay before her and taking a deep breath, she began to sew him back together again. Once he was all in one piece, she chanted a few words over him and slowly the thread disappeared, dissolving into his body. Then, his eyes opened, and he whispered one word: "Selina."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure we want to do this?" Selina asked. "Because let me tell you something: Frankly, I'm not all that comfortable with it, and if my mother finds out, she's going to have a fit."<p>

"Selina," Damon's voice was calm on the other end of the line. "It's not like we're really splitting up. We're just _pretending_ to split up so that you can be around the Originals all you need to in order to fulfill your role as prospective daughter-in-law while at the same time, feeding _us_ information that will help bring them down."

"This is a _horrible _plan!" Selina cried. "And just when are you planning on the two of us getting back together? Klaus' and my golden anniversary?"

"No," Damon said. "I'll figure something out. I promise. But this is what has to work for now."

"I hate this," Selina told him. "I really, _really_ hate this."

"Hey," Damon said. "It's no walk in the park for me either. It's going to be _months _before I have a meaningful relationship again."

"Are you _positive _this is the only way?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Damon said. "I'm afraid so."

"All right," Selina said heavily. "Goodbye, Damon." Trying not to cry, she hung up the phone and stared out the window.

"Who were you calling?" Elijah asked, setting a full teacup down in front of her.

"I wasn't calling anyone," Selina said. "Damon called _me._ He said that, based on the circumstances, it might be best if we ended things."

"Really?" Elijah asked. "I _am _sorry to hear that. But this will make it easier for you to focus on the more important things at hand. Now, I want you to drink that, and then go make yourself look presentable. We're meeting with Father and Paul in an hour."

* * *

><p>"I have to ask," Selina said as she and Elijah were driving out of town to the hotel where the meeting was taking place. "Is your father going to be easier or more difficult to deal with than your mother?"<p>

"It depends on if he knows about your associations with Niklaus," Elijah said. "If he doesn't, I believe he will be more inclined to look upon you favorably."

"That's not fair!" Selina said. "The stuff with Klaus is a fluke of genetics. It's not like I _chose_ to be with Klaus of my own free will."

"The moost important thing to remember about my father is this," Elijah said. "Do not, under any circumstances, bring up the fact that you have a werewolf gene. It worked with Mother because unfortunately that's where she allies herself, but if you volunteer it freely to father, you will be dead. He's hated werewolves ever since he found out about Mother's infidelity. He killed not only Niklaus' father, but the man's entire family as well."

"My God," Selina said.

"Exactly," Elijah nodded. "He wanted to meet at night, but because of the way your body chemistry is working these days, I thought a day meeting might be safer."

"That was wise," Selina said. "Thank you."

They arrived at the hotel and handed the car over to the valet, then headed inside. Two severe-looking dark-haired men rose to meet them when they entered the lobby. "Elijah," said the taller of the two, his head inclining slightly. Elijah nodded. "Hello, Father."

He certainly _looks_ like a vampire, Selina thought. He was pale, much paler than she, in contrast to his long dark hair and dark eyes. The man beside him was like a younger version. "Hello, Paul," Elijah said quietly.

"Hello, Elijah," sad the young man in the same quiet tone.

"And who did you bring us?" asked his father, his eyes finding Selina. He took her hand and kissed it gently.

"Father, Paul, this is Selina Warren. Niklaus has taken an interest in her," Elijah said.

Elijah's father's eyes darkened for a moment. "We shall see about that," he said.

The four of them sat in silence a moment before Elijah finally spoke. "Where's Aleksandr?" He asked. "I thought Aleksandr was going to be here too."

"Your brother has vanished," his father said shortly. "We parted years ago and I haven't heard from him since. Katerina is out looking for him. I wonder if she's finally found anything. Once she does, we will be able to move forward."

"May I ask with what, Father?" Elijah asked.

"You may, but it has nothing to do with you," his father said. "It has to do...with _her._" His eyes caught Selina's and she started. "With me, sir?"

"Yes," Elijah's father was smiling at her now. "It has _everything_ to do with you. You're going to be a great asset to us."

Just then, an auburn-haired young woman ran into the lobby. "Father, Paul! I finally found what I was looking for!"

"Did you, Katerina?" asked Paul, going to meet her. "And did you finish the entire process?"

She nodded, her eyes sparkling. "I did."

A moment later, a young man appeared at her shoulder. "Hello, Father, Paul," he said. "I apologize for losing my way, but I had many distractions over the years."

Elijah's father came over and put his hands on the young man's shoulders. "No more distractions."

Aleksandr nodded. "No more distractions. I will do what you wish of me."

"Good." Paul and his father sat back down, as Aleksandr and Katherine. When Selina got a glimpse of Aleksandr, she had to stop herself from screaming. "Could I be excused for a minute?" she asked. "I left something...in my purse and I have to go get it."

Looking surprised, they all nodded and Selina sprinted off toward the bathroom. When she got there, she pulled the phone out of her purse and dialed the Mansion, feeling incredibly relieved when Caroline answered. "What's the matter?"

"Did you know that I'm a slut?" Selina asked.

"Are you?" Caroline asked in surprise. "What makes you think that?"

"Well," Selina said, trying to keep her voice down, "Right after I killed Doctor Stensrund, I got in another relationship and ended up marrying the guy. We were together ten years and then he left me."

"How does that make you a slut?" Caroline asked.

"Well, it turns out that he's Klaus and Elijah's brother!" Selina burst out. "And while we were married, I slept with him, just like I've already slept with Klaus and Elijah! There's only one more brother left before I've done the whole set!"

"Uh huh," Caroline said. "So your ex-husband is the brother of your mate and the guy you slept with to _avoid_ sleeping with your mate."

"Exactly," Selina nodded. "And the same guy that Damon and Elijah stabbed with a white ash dagger and chopped into pieces on the night of the Masquerade for that charity Carol's such a fan of!"

"You're really in it deep, aren't you?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Got any words of wisdom before I go back into the lions' den?"

"I'm thinking," Caroline said. "This is a lot to process. I'll just sign off with 'you're capable and intelligent, and I have no doubt you'll be able to handle whatever they throw at you'."

"Thanks," Selina said. "I feel better already." She told Caroline goodbye and hung up the phone, straightening up to go back to the table. As she was coming out, Aleksandr came to meet her. "We were wondering if something was wrong," he said. "You were gone quite awhile."

"I could say the same thing about you," Selina glared at him. "You have _quite _a bit of explaining to do, Mister. Unless of course you don't think I _deserve_ an explanation."

"You do," Aleksandr said. "There's no doubt about that. It's just that now's not really a good time to give it to you."

They sat down at the table, him on one side and her on the other. His father looked back and forth between them and then cleared his throat. "Now for the plan, Miss Warren, that involves you. I happen to know that you have a certain peculiarity about you, but also that you became a vampire about 150 years ago. Is that correct?"

Selina nodded. "Yes, sir."

He nodded and leaned forward. "Just where," he asked her, "do your loyalities lie?"

She swallowed. "My loyalities, sir?"

"Is your allegience to werewolves or vampires?" Paul interpreted.

They were all watching her intently now. She knew the answer they were waiting for. Her eyes caught Elijah's and he gave her a barely perceptible nod. "The vampires, sir," Selina said finally. "It was my mother who caused my peculiarity and we've been estranged for years."

Everyone around the table let out a breath. "That pleases me," the father nodded. "You will need to do something though, to prove your loyalty."

"And what is that?" Selina asked.

"I would like you," he said slowly, "to marry my son."

Selina felt her stomach sink. "Which one?" She asked.

"I'll do it, Father," Aleksandr said immediately.

"Thank you, son." His father said. "The wedding will take place tomorrow, and nothing will interfere with it. Am I clear to all of you?"

"Yes, Father," All the siblings said at once. Selina nodded but said nothing.

* * *

><p>"Well that was a productive meeting," Selina said sarcastically as she and Elijah drove back to the hideout. "This morning, my husband separated from me, and tomorrow, I get to marry another one. How lucky can I be?" She glared at Elijah. "Did you know that was going to happen when you made the meeting?"<p>

"I _did_ mention Father's anti-werewolf stance to you," Elijah said.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "But you didn't say he was so gung-ho about it that he was going to make me marry your brother to prove my loyalty to the vampires!"

"Yes," Elijah said. "That was rather unexpected. But it was Aleksandr who volunteered and you were married to him before, so it should be an easy transition to make."

Selina was still going on as if she hadn't heard him. "And what about my family? Does this mean I can never see my mother again? I mean, I know we've had our differences over the years, but things have been getting better lately."

"Not necessarily," Elijah said. "Aleksandr seems to really care about you. I'm sure if you explained the situation to him, he'd let you call that branch of your family whenever you want."

Selina sighed. "I'm still upset about this. I need a drink. A big one."

When they reached the hideout, Selina practically jumped from the car and strode inside. She found a bottle of Champagne in the kitchen wine rack and downed the entire bottle. As soon as it was gone, the phone rang and Selina grabbed it. Aleksandr was on the other end. "We need to talk," he said. "I'm coming to pick you up."

He arrived ten minutes later, huddled on the stairs. He took one look at her and sighed. "I see you still drink," he said and picked her up, carrying her to his car. He hoped that she'd be quiet all the way to his and Katherine's house, but he was wrong. She ranted the whole ride about all the things he'd done wrong. He deserved every word, but it would have been better if they'd been part of a frank discussion rather then a one-sided rant. They reached the house and he carried her inside. When she insisted that she was okay to walk, he set her down and she promptly threw up in a potted plant. Once she was done, he carried her upstairs, put her in bed and tucked her in, telling her to sleep it off. Once she was settled in, he decided to go and see his father.

He drove to the house where his parents had taken up residence and went inside. It wasn't difficult to find them. They were arguing as usual. What _wasn't_ usual is that they were arguing about Selina.

"I saw her today," His father said. "And she told me that her allegiance was to the vampires. She's going to marry Aleksandr to prove it."

His mother laughed. "Is that what she told you? Well, she lied. She's with the werewolves through and through. Her werewolf instincts have chosen Niklaus as a mate and she still has family around, some of whom are initiated. She wouldn't turn her back on them."

"She would if she had no one to go back to," said his father. "I'll take care of that personally. Tonight."

Aleksandr gasped. He turned away from his parents' door and ran out of the house. He drove back to his at breakneck speed and ran upstairs to rouse Selina.

"You have to talk to your family tonight," He said, even though he realized she was barely conscious. "Father found out they're still around. Mother told him. If you want your family alive in the morning, you'd better tell them to run now."


	14. Love and War

Selina looked up at him. "What?" she asked, woozy. "Say that again."

Aleksandr sighed. "Father knows that your werewolf relatives are still alive. That you still have family around here. He's going to kill them all tonight as a way to force our marriage unless you call them and tell them to get out of town _now._" He expected her to nod and drag him out of the room so they could go and alert her family together, but thats not what she did. Instead, she stayed in bed. "My head hurts," she said. "I don't really feel like going anywhere."

He was dumbstruck. "Selina, what are you saying? Do you understand the ramifications of what I'm telling you?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I understand perfectly. I'm drunk not deaf, jeez. You really need to relax, all right?"

Aleksandr took a sharp breath. "All right, fine. Since you don't seem to care, why should I?"

"Hey," Selina sat up. "It's not that I don't care. I do. I just think you're going about this in entirely the wrong way."

Aleksandr's eyebrow went up. "I see. And what, in your mind, would be the _right_ way to handle this situation?"

She got out of bed unsteadily and began tottering out of the room. "Where are you going?" He got up to follow her.

"I need another drink," she said. "Or another bottle."

"What are you going to do about my father?" He asked. "Or have you finally come to your senses and decided to come with me to warn your family to get out?"

"See," Selina said, "I don't think I should _have_ to warn my family to get out. We've been town management since the place was founded, and that was over a hundred years ago. Nothing's run us out. Not even when my Uncle Jacob killed those school girls. The townspeople wouldn't let him be buried in the cemetery after he was killed, but that didn't get us thrown out. Even my cousin George had his problems. But no one knew. We've done a _very _good job of keeping our little condition a secret all these years as well as making this town the best it can be so I see no reason why we should have to leave just because a pompus, self-important, narcissistic egoist like your father thinks he's better than us. And I'm going to make sure he knows that, right now."

"What?" Aleksandr's eyes widened and he grabbed hold of her waist before she tried to make it down the stairs. "You can't do that!"

She burst out laughing. "Awwww! Is somebody afraid of their daddy?"

"No," he said through his teeth. "I'm not afraid of my father. I'm afraid for _you _and what he will do to you if you try to defy him. He is extremely cruel with those who displease him."

"So are you," she said, swaying. "Or do you think I've forgotten how you locked me in my room for three days and starved me so I would kill my husband and you'd have no more competition? If you're trying to scare me, you're going to have to do better than that." She began walking down the stairs, surprisingly steady for someone who'd drunk as much as she had. Then, she went out to her car and sat at the wheel. Aleksandr took the seat beside her. She gave him a brief glance. "Why are you here?" She snapped. "I don't _need _you to come with me. I can do this on my own."

"I'm just coming so maybe I can convince Father not to kill you," he said. "You'll thank me for that."

"Yeah," she nodded. "You did me _so _much good over the years." She started the car and they began driving irratically around town, nearly getting arrested when they almost crashed near the police station. By the time they reached his parents' house, Selina was spoiling for a fight. When she strode inside, Aleksandr trailed behind her, trying his best to keep calm. When his father saw them, what on him would be considered a smile formed. "Hello," he said. "Here are my lovebirds now. Are we eager for tomorrow's festivities?"

"Actually," Selina said, squaring her shoulders. "That's what we came to talk to you about: There aren't going to _be_ any festivities tomorrow because I'm_ not_ going through with your stupid wedding and you're just going to have to deal with the disappointment."

"What?" His pleasant expression immediately clouded over. He looked at Aleksandr. "What is she saying?" He snapped. "What is the meaning of this?"

Aleksandr shook his head. "Don't pay any attention to her, Father. She's drunk. She has no idea what she's saying." He took Selina around the waist and began trying to pull her out of the room. "Come along, dear," he said. "That's enough. We'll let you sleep off what you drank and everything will be better when we get married in the morning."

"No," Selina began struggling. "I told you, I'm not going to go through with it!" She broke free of him and strode over to his father again. "And I know you were planning to go after my family tonight so I'd go along with this stupid idea of yours and that was a _big_ mistake. My family has run this town since it was founded, and _that_ was over a hundred years ago. Nothing's run us out. Not even when my Uncle Jacob killed those school girls. The townspeople wouldn't let him be buried in the cemetery after he was killed, but that didn't get us thrown out either. Even my cousin George had his problems. But no one knew. We've done a _very_ good job of keeping our condition a secret all these years, as well as making this town the best it can be, so I see _no_ reason why we should have to worry about keeping ourselves safe just because a pompus, self-absorbed, narcissistic egoist like you thinks you're better than us."

The room lapsed into silence. Then, just as the father opened his mouth to speak, he was interrupted by the sound of light, trilling laughter. A second later, Elissavetta appeared. "See?" she said to her husband. "What did I tell you?" She came up behind Selina and glared at her husband. "What were you thinking"

"He was thinking of going after my family," Selina told her. "Just so I'd go along with his stupid plan."

Elissavetta frowned. "What plan?"

"Well," Selina said, "He told me that I'd have to marry one of his sons to prove my loyalty to the vampires and-"

"What in the world made him believe that you were loyal to the vampires?" Elissavetta asked.

"She told us she was," Aleksandr said. "Looked right at us and lied through her teeth. I was so moved by it that I even told her what Father was going to do ahead of time so she could let them know and give them a chance to get out before the slaughter. But I shouldn't have fallen for it. It isn't the first time she's fooled me."

Aleksandr's father looked at him for a long moment. "You're not the first man to be made a fool," he said. He shot his wife and Selina a scathing glance. "They're a duplicitous bunch. No better than animals." He then wretched Selina from Elissavetta's grip and threw her against the wall, pulling out a sword and running it around the base of Selina's throat, causing her to scream. "Any last words?" He whispered.

"Go to hell," she whispered.

Just as he was about to deliver the final blow, Elissavetta gave him a good hard slap, which made him drop the sword. He froze. "If you so much as lay a hand on her again, you will be very sorry," she told her husband. "Very, _very _sorry." Then, she took Selina by the hand and left Aleksandr and his father in the room to stare at one another.

* * *

><p>"Are you all right?" Elissavetta asked Selina once they were clear of the room. She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and began dabbing at Selina's neck.<p>

"Yes," Selina said. Her voice was subdued. "Thank you."

Elissavetta nodded. "Now let's get you back to Niklaus before my husband gets anymore ideas into his head."

"I don't know why I did that," Selina said. "Decided to provoke him, I mean. My only excuse is that I'm never my best at night."

"Yes," Elissavetta nodded. "Because that's when you become a wolf, isn't it?"

"It's when my werewolf qualities manifest themselves, yes," Selina nodded. "Although actually transforming isn't so much of an issue anymore, thanks to that ritual your son had me do. Now I can transform at will and so can he."

"Interesting," Elissavetta said.

"Listen," Selina said. "About my family; would you make sure he doesn't try and get at them? I have no doubt he's going to try again."

Elissavetta nodded. "If I've kept Niklaus alive for this long, a few more to watch isn't any trouble."

"Maybe I should tell them to get out just in case," Selina said. "I mean, drunken bravado is one thing, but I don't know if I could deal with finding them all dead."

Elissavetta nodded. "Don't worry," she said. "If there's one thing about us, its that we take care of our own."

* * *

><p>"Do you have any way to get in?" Elissavetta asked her when they reached Doctor Stensrund's. "The door seems to be locked."<p>

"Yeah," Selina nodded. She gave the door three sharp raps and waited. A moment later, Alistair answered the door. "Hello," He said. "We've been worried about you."

"Thank you," Selina said, stepping inside and motioning for Elissavetta to follow her. "And just where has Klaus gone off to?"

"Still at his brother's, I believe," Alistair said. He eyed Elissavetta curiously.

"Oh," Selina said. "This is Klaus' mother, Elissavetta. Elissavetta, this is Alistair, Klaus' go to guy for all types of aid, magical and otherwise."

Elissavetta eyed him keenly. "You work for my son?" She asked.

Alistair nodded. "Of course. When Elijah took the dagger to him, it was me who brought him back."

Elissavetta turned on Selina quickly. "When did Elijah take the dagger to Alistair?"

Selina sighed. "It was right after the ritual," she said. "At that point, I was still in denial about my true purpose. If your husband had known me then, I would have been able to honestly say that I was allied with the vampires. After Klaus made me a hybrid, initially, I was angry, I will admit that. I felt tainted by what he had done. Elijah told me that we could do away with Klaus if he stabbed him with the white ash dagger just as Klaus was making his first transformation. "

Elissavetta looked at Alistair. "Is this what happened?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded.

Just then, the front door opened, causing them all to start. "Mother?" Klaus asked. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I came to bring Selina back to you," she said. "She was very nearly killed, Niklaus."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I went and confessed my true loyalities and it made him angry, so he tried to kill me."

"What did you tell him?" Klaus asked. His voice was hard.

"I told him that I was with the werewolves," Selina said. "Vampires mean nothing to me now."

"Is that so?" Klaus asked, pulling her to him.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Only two things in the world have any meaning for me now. The werewolves and you."

"And with that being said," Elissavetta caught Klaus' eye. "Stay away from Elijah. I don't trust him. He's much too loyal to your father."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Klaus said. "Selina, is that a problem?"

"No," she shook her head. "It isn't."

Just as Elissavetta was about to leave, Selina said "based on what happened to me today, or nearly happened, wouldn't it be best to get your husband out of the way? He could turn out to be quite a nuisance if allowed to continue the way that he has."

Elissavetta smiled wickedly and pulled the dagger from her sleeve. "I thought you'd never ask," she said. "Take it. Katerina had it with her things. Now, which one of you wants to do the honors?"

Selina took the dagger, admiring its glint in the light. "I will." She said.

* * *

><p>TThat night, Selina snuck back to Elissavetta's house. It was dark. She strode into the master bedroom, and creeped up close to the bed. When she was sure that Elissavetta's husband was in bed alone, she pulled the dagger from her pocket and held it beind her back. Then, she turned on the light. He sat up and opened his eyes. They narrowed when he saw her. <em>"You<em>," he breathed. "My wife the whore gives you a chance to escape and then you come crawling back. This is good. Now I can finish what I started."

"I didn't come here to fight, if that's what you think," she said. Keeping her knife behind her back, she unzipped her coat with one hand. It fell to the ground and he saw that she was wearing nothing underneath. Slowly, she boosted herself into bed with him. "You're wife had desires," she said quietly. "And what about you? Do _you_ have desires?"

He breathed in sharply and pulled her to him. As she stripped his clothes away, she pulled the dagger out, running it through his torso. Immediately, he froze and she burst out laughing. "He says we're no worse than animals," she said to herself. "But I have yet to see a man pass up a chance with a willing and naked woman." She climbed off the bed, threw the sheets over his body and put her coat and shoes back on. As she shut off the lights, she took a deep breath. "The things I do to prove my loyalty," she whispered. Then she left the house and drove away.


	15. Making A Move

As she was on her way out, she ran into Klaus. "So?" he asked. "Is it done?"

Selina nodded. "It is. And I did remarkably well if I do say so myself."

"Really?" Klaus asked. "It didn't take half as long as I thought it would." He followed her back to the bedroom. "My, my," he said dryly, clicking his tongue. "You certainly didn't waste any time, did you?"

Selina shook her head. "Of course not. What would I have to gain by wasting time when I know what I have to do?"

He put his arm around her shoulders. "What kind of hybrid are you?" He asked her. "You didn't even give him a chance to fight back. You made yourself completely miss out on the thrill of the hunt just for the sake of practicality."

"I didn't see what could be gained by actually fighting him," Selina said.

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "And that's why you're going to take your-" he pushed the coat off her and sucked in a deep breath. "Your beautiful, supple body back to the car and not move until I come back for you."

Selina scoffed. "The hell I am," she said. "I'm staying right here. If you get to fight, so can I. Give me one reason why I should go. And it has to be a good one."

"Because," Klaus said, "unlike me, you aren't indestructible. He hits you in the right spot and you're dead. That's the end of us. I would just kick myself if that happened."

"Yeah," Selina said. "Because it would dash all hopes for your empire."

"And my mother would be horribly disappointed." Klaus said. "She already thinks of you as a fourth daughter."

"Well at least _somebody_ cares about me," Selina said. Klaus threw her coat at her. "Put that on and go away."

"Fine," Selina said. "I'll go. But we're going to talk about this later."

"Oh," Klaus was smirking now. "You seem very angry with me. I_ don't_ think we'll be talking later."

* * *

><p>Rolling her eyes, Selina pulled her coat around herself and went out into the living room, because as much as she hated to admit it, Klaus had a good point about her not being indestructable. She sat down and for the next she didn't know how many minutes, she heard some very alarming sounds coming from the bedroom. Crashes, grunts, yells, screaming in some language she couldn't identify. Then, it got quiet. She stood up and edged toward the bedroom door, opening it a sliver. "Is it all over?" She asked quietly.<p>

"Yes," Klaus said. "You can come in." She edged in and stared at the bed where Aleksandr's father lay in much the same position he'd been in after Selina had finished with him. "What do we do now?"

"We put him in the car and drive him back to the house," Klaus said. "Mother has all the necessary containment vessels there."

"I can't believe you didn't let me fight him," Selina said.

"We went over this," Klaus said.

"Yeah, but it was a stupid reason," Selina said. "I could have held my own. I seduced him by myself, didn't I?"

"Yes," Klaus said patiently, patting her head. "But that doesn't take much. Any tart with half a brain can plan a seduction."

"Are you calling me an idiot?" Selina asked.

"So what if I am?" Klaus asked. "What are you going to do about it?"

Selina glared at him for a moment and then her face relaxed. "I see what you're doing," she said. "You're trying to piss me off so I'll get physical. But it's not going to work."

"I don't see why not," Klaus said. "It's worked every other time."

"Well it's not going to this one," she said, turning away. He caught her by the arm, threw the coat off, and then spun her around, kissing her deeply. She began strugging against him, punching and hitting with her fists, but that only encouraged him. Finall, she gave up, threw her arms around him and was about to kiss him back when a thought occurred to her. "Stop," she said. "Wait a minute."

"What?" he said while still kissing her neck.

"We can't do this now," she said. "First, we have to get rid of the body, otherwise one of your brothers might come over here and pull the dagger out and then we'll be right back where we started."

"Fine." Groaning, Klaus pulled away from her and they grabbed the body and hauled it out to the car, sticking it in the trunk and then locking it. Then they went back inside to the bedroom. "Now," Klaus said, "where were we?" He began kissing her again and then picked her up and stuck her on the bed, running his hands over her body until she was writing underneath him. Then, just as he was about to enter her, suddenly, she flipped over and he found himself underneath her. "No," she said firmly. "You aren't going to keep doing this to me."

"What?" he asked. He was in shock. "What are you saying? What am I doing wrong?"

Selina rolled her eyes, pushing up and away from him. "My God, you even _have sex_ like a chauvinist; it's never about me, and it's always about you."

He grinned wryly. "My love," he said, "based on all the screaming you do every time we end up like this, you have absolutely no room to complain."

"I have plenty, and the reason should be _very _obvious to you," she retorted.

He shook his head. "I don't see any problems. Now get back here. I was just getting started."

Selina sighed. "Look at me, then look at yourself."

He nodded. "I'll gladly look at you."

"Yeah, and that's exactly my point," Selina said. "In order for us to have sex, I have to be completely naked every time whereas you can just unzip and boom. Doesn't give me as much to look at, now does it?"

He just burst out laughing. "You have plenty to look at. Or so I've been told." He leaned in to pull her into his arms again. She smacked him and dove off the bed, grabbing her purse off the dressing table. Then she pulled out a pair of cuffs and cuffed him to the bed. "Ah," he grinned. "So you want to play that game. All you had to do was say so. You didn't need to be angry."

"Yeah right," Selina said. "Like you'd _ever_ have allowed me to be in control when we're having sex. You never have. Well, now it's my turn." She ripped off his shirt and pants and began running her hands over his abs. Then, she turned her attention to other places. She saw the look on his face and it made her grin. "Not so bad letting me be in charge, is it?"

He was breathing hard and sweat glistened on his face and hair. "No," he said. "I have to admit that you _are_ quite talented. If you take the cuffs off, I'll reward you." She hesitated for a moment before finally releasing him. Then, activites resumed as usual and paused only when they heard the bedroom door open.

"Good God," said a voice that caused them both to turn around. "And just how did the two of you get in here?"

"The same as you," Selina said. "Now go away. We're busy."

"I can see that," Aleksandr remarked wryly. "And from the looks of things, you have been for quite some time. It's nice to see you haven't lost your stamina. And it's very ironic that you're spending what would have been our wedding night having sex with my brother."

"Oh, don't look at me like that," Selina said. "It's not like you don't know what it's like. We had a wedding night. And ten years after that. And then you left me. So any anger you're feeling right now is really your own fault."

"I had a good reason to leave," Aleksandr said through his teeth.

"Well how about you find another one?" Klaus said sharply. "What did you have to barge in here for anyway?"

"I was looking for Father," Aleksandr said icily. "You haven't seen him have you?"

"No," Selina said. "He left. Maybe you should go out and look for him."

"Fine," Aleksandr snapped. "Maybe I will." He strode out of the room, slamming the door hard behind him.

Klaus and Selina sat in silence a few moments before Selina said, "we should get the body back to the house."

"I guess," Klaus said. "With Aleksandr prowling about, we can't be too careful. Were you honestly married to him?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Right after I was turned."

"Couldn't have been too much fun," he commented.

Selina shook her head. "Of course not. But what did I know back then anyway?" She sighed and got out of the bed, throwing her coat back on, waiting for him to follow her out to the car.

* * *

><p>"You two were gone quite a long time," Elissavetta said as she came out to meet them. "What kept you?"<p>

"Sorry," Selina said. "It just took awhile to get him down. And then Aleksandr showed up looking for him so that took even _more_ time to get him subdued, but we got the body, and we took care of Aleksandr, and here we are."

"I bet I know the other reason why it took you so long," Lilith said.

"What?" Elissavetta asked.

"They were engaging in sexual intercourse." Lilith said simply.

"Ah," Elissavetta said. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised." She grinned at Klaus. "Sometimes you remind me so of your father. He was irresistible. And I bet Selina sees that too."

"Well," Selina nodded. "Actually, that's true in my case, Elissavetta. I find him irresistible. Once the moon's out, I couldn't stay away if I tried."

Elissavetta nodded again. "Yes, well, where is he?"

"In the trunk of the car," Selina said.

Elissavetta looked at Lilith. "Would you come help me unload him, dear? Niklaus and Selina need their rest."

Lilith smirked. "Rest...of course." And then she followed her mother out to the car to retrieve her father's body.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Selina found herself more tense than usual.<p>

"You need to relax," Klaus observed as he watched her. "Do you need me to help with that?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "You helped me all last night and it didn't do me any good. I need to get out and check on some things before the day is out. Besides, I thought you didn't like me during the day anyway. You told Stefan you thought I was boring."

"Well," Klaus admitted, "You are, but it's never too early to fix things."

Selina shook her head. "No. Remember if I'm too accomodating, the thrill is gone. So I'm going to get dressed and go see if I still have a family. But don't worry. I'll be back tonight. It's not like I have a choice, you know."

Klaus nodded. "Well there is that."

After she dressed, she grabbed her purse and headed out the door. "See you tonight," she said, giving him a wink that sent the strangest shiver of desire through him.

* * *

><p>"Caroline, Tyler, have either of you heard from Selina recently?" Amelia asked. "It's been days and I haven't heard a peep from her."<p>

"Relax, all right Amelia," Matthew said. "She's probably just been busy."

"Too busy to call her own mother and tell me what's going on in her life? I don't think so." Amelia said stiffly.

"I heard from her," Caroline said. "Apparently her ex-husband is in town."

"What ex-husband?"Amelia asked, looking shocked. "Matthew, did she ever tell you she had an ex-husband?"

Matthew shook his head. "No. But it doesn't surprise me. You didn't expect her to be romantically idle for over a hundred years, did you?"

"She better bring him by to introduce to us," Amelia said. "I hope he's not some long haired hippie type preaching revolutionary ideals."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Caroline got up to answer it. "Oh, my God," she said.

"Who is it?" Amelia asked absently.

"Well," Caroline said as she let him in, "You know how you were just saying that you wanted meet Selina's ex? Well, here he is."

Amelia looked up and gasped at the very attractive young man who stood next to Caroline. "Hello," she said.

"Hello," he said warmly. "I'm Tommy McCarthy, Selina's former husband. I'm sorry to just barge in like this without calling, but I figured I ought to come meet you since I didn't have the pleasure when Selina and I were actually married."

"I like him," Matthew said, shaking his hand in return.

"Matthew!" Amelia said in surprise. "What are you saying?"

"Excuse me?" Aleksandr-as-Tommy said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh," Matthew said, "you'll have to excuse my wife. She's very fond of Selina's current husband and the idea that Selina was ever interested in anyone else is a bit jarring for her. Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you," Aleksandr said. "I'll be all right."

"Sorry Selina's not here at the moment," Matthew said. "I'm Matthew, Selina's father, and that's Selina's mother Amelia."

Aleksandr nodded. "And I know Tyler and Caroline of course. But why are the two of you here together?"

"We were married recently," Caroline said.

"How nice for you," Aleksandr said. Just then, the front door burst open. "Hi," Selina said, breathing heavily. "Everyone still alive in here?"

"Of course," Matthew said. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Oh," Selina said, feeling a little disconcerted. "No reason. I'm glad to see everyone's all right."

"Excellent," Matthew said. "Look who came to visit? Aren't you going to say hello to him?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Hello, _Tommy_. So nice to see you here."

"Likewise," he said. "You're looking lovely this morning."

"Thank you," she said briefly. "Could I meet you in the library? Right now?"

"Of course," he said, standing up. "Lead the way."

* * *

><p>When they reached the library, she shut the door and turned angrily to face him. "What the hell are you doing here?" she snapped. "I have enough problems without you adding to them."<p>

"I would hardly call getting along with your relatives a problem," Aleksandr said dryly. "Your father seems to love me."

"What about my mother?" Selina asked suspiciously.

His face contorted slightly. "Not the nicest woman in the world, is she?"

"Ah," Selina grinned. "It figures she hates you. Werewolf gene and all."

"Really?" Aleksandr's eyes widened a hair. "Have you introduced her to Niklaus?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Now isn't the time. What did you come here for?"

"Well, I think it should be obvious to you," he said simply.

"Well you can save your breath," she snapped. "You left me and I hate you so go away." She crossed her arms over her chest and turned quickly away from him.

He put his arms around her and put his face up close to her ear. "You know you're just kidding yourself," he said. "You say you don't care about me, that what I did didn't affect you. But you're lying. The fact that you bring it up every time you see me is proof enough of that."

"You dyed your hair again," she said, still not looking at him. "I like you better as a blonde."

"You still care about me," he said, going on as if he hadn't heard her. "Maybe even still love me. And I came to prove it to you."

That made her turn. "How?" She asked suspiciously.

"Kiss me," he said simply. "Kiss me and if you honestly feel nothing, I'll leave you alone."

"I don't know," she said, glaring at him. "I think this is a trap. At least it is when it happens to women in the movies."

"What if it isn't?" he asked. "Give it a chance."

Selina rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said and kissed him. Suddenly, she felt warm all over. His grip on her back was firm and strong. She felt safe. She deepened the kiss and began moving him over to the sofa. He pulled her legs over so she was sitting in his lap and began running his fingers through her hair. "My beautiful darling," he whispered.

"What?" she whispered back, kissing him again. Then, suddenly she pulled away. "What the hell did you do?" She asked, looking horrified.

"I didn't do anything," he said simply. "You still have feelings for me."

"I do not," she said. "And you're completely deluded if you think otherwise." Then, she got up from the couch and strode angrily from the library, buttoning her shirt back up again as she walked.

* * *

><p>She arrived back at Doctor Stensrund's soon after and strode purposefully back to her and Klaus's bedroom. He was just finishing getting dressed. "Hey," she said. "You know how you were talking about us being together during the day? Let's start now." She pulled off her shirt and pulled her skirt down, kicking it off with her heel. "Or are you busy?"<p>

Klaus grinned. "Never too busy for that. I would ask what brought on this sudden change of attitude, but as they say, never look a gift horse in the mouth."

He began kissing her. "You know what I like about us?" she asked. "All we do is have sex. That's what our entire relationship consists of. No feelings or entanglements involved. Just pure physicality."

He stopped kissing her for a moment. "As opposed to what?" He asked.

She sighed. "As opposed to the ten year mess I had with Aleksandr. He actually came by my parents' house today and tried to ingratiate himself to them. And he did a damn good job, too. My mother still hates him though. At least I have that to hold on to. He's convinced I still have feelings for him."

"And do you?" Klaus asked.

"Hell, no." Selina scoffed.

"Good," he said, and resumed kissing her, among other things.

* * *

><p>That night, Klaus was in the living room, looking morose when Elissavetta found him. "What's the matter?" She asked.<p>

"Selina was married to Aleksandr some time ago, and he's stil trying to pursue her even though the relationship ended. It's a tactic to get her to change her loyalties."

"Well, you know what you have to do," Elissavetta said.

"What?" Klaus asked.

Elissavetta smiled. "Marry her first. That way, Aleksandr won't be able to."


	16. A Night to Remember

Klaus groaned. "Marry her, Mama? I don't want to. That would mean I have to see her during the day as well, and during the day she's just plain dull. Exactly the kind of girl Aleksandr would find interesting."

"Exactly," Elissavetta nodded. "That's why we need to head off any chances of them getting back together." She sat down next to him and took off her ring. "Take this," she said. "Your father gave it to me and now I want you to give it to her."

"You mean my real father, right? Not..." Klaus asked.

Elissavetta frowned. "Of course that's who I mean! You don't think I would give you anything that had once been touched by that fool I call a husband, do you?"

Klaus shook his head. "Of course not."

"Now," Elissavetta stood up. "How long until we see her again?"

"She's here," he said. "Her little encounter with Aleksandr struck a nerve and now she's hiding out."

"Well that makes things easier, doesn't it?" Elissavetta asked.

"Yes," Klaus said. "I guess." He put the ring in his pocket. "I'm going back to bed."

"Good night, dear." Elissavetta said.

"Good night, Mother," Klaus replied without looking back at her.

* * *

><p>"What took you so long?" Selina asked. "I didn't need <em>that<em> much of a break."

He looked at her wide, eager eyes. Her smooth, supple body just waiting for him. And for the first time, he felt nothing. Maybe it was the thought of having to propose to her that was messing with his brain, but he just didn't feel like it tonight. "Maybe tomorow," he said, as he stripped off his clothes and got into bed beside her. "I'm a little tired tonight."

"Well then what am _I_ supposed to do?" She asked. "I know where your brother is. I suppose I could always leave and go see _him_."

Klaus turned to face her. "That's an empty threat and you know it. At this point in time, you could never be attracted to my brother because there's absolutely no werewolf in him and that's what you want. That's what you need."

"_Exactly_," Selina nodded. She began to play with him under the covers. "So why aren't you giving it to me?"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Why don't you ask your other personality. It knows."

Selina frowned. "Okay, fine. I'll go to sleep if you're going to be all cranky."

"Thank you," Klaus said.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Selina woke up next to Klaus as usual, but she felt different. She got out of bed and dressed, but as she was about to sneak out of the room, Klaus opened one eye. "Where are you going?" He asked.<p>

"Where do you think?" Selina replied. "Out, like I always do. Since I'm so boring and moral during the day and all."

Klaus sat up. "So you're back to normal, then?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I guess. Why?"

Klaus shrugged. "I just wondered. Is there any way to make it so you _aren't _a complete bimbo during the night? That routine is beginning to bore me."

"Really?" Selina asked. "But I'm completely easy!"

Klaus got out of bed and went to stand in front of her. "And that's exactly the point," he said. "I need a challenge."

Selina frowned, turning away from him. "Well, I'll be more than happy to give you one. And for God's sake, put some pants on. The windows are open." And with that, she strode out of the room.

* * *

><p>As soon as Selina was gone, Klaus dressed and went downstairs. He found his mother in the music room. "Were you serious when you told me to propose to Selina last night?" He asked,<p>

"Oh, absolutely," Elissavetta nodded. "Have you done it yet? Where's Selina now?"

"No, I haven't done it yet, and she left."

Elissavetta's eyes widened. "She left? Why did you let her leave?"

"Because, Mother," Klaus said patiently. "That's what she does during the day. And then she comes back at night."

"Well you go and find her right now and tell her to come back here," Elissavetta ordered. "We can't have her roaming about. What if she should happen to come across Aleksandr? He could very easily persuade her to come with him somewhere and agree to any sort of deal he and Paul have made up. I just don't understand why you didn't do anything last night when she was ready, willing and easy."

"And that's the problem, Mother," Klaus said. "She was easy last night and I got bored. If she's going to be my long-term mate, I want someone who's a bit of a challenge for me."

"And Selina's not?" Elissavetta asked.

"She is," Klaus nodded. "During the day, anyway. When I don't see her."

"So why did you tell her to leave?" Elissavetta asked.

"Well, I don't want to seem _too _eager, do I?" Klaus asked. "And isn't it my job to come up with a grand, memorable proposal? It will be a lot easier to make that a surprise if she's not around."

"I see," Elissavetta said after a moment. "Well, do whatever you need to, just make sure you do the proposal."

"Yes, Mother," Klaus said.

* * *

><p>After a lot of thought, Selina decided to make a trip to the boardinghouse. It was Damon who answered her knock.<p>

"Hi," she said as he let her in.

"Hi," he said. "I wasn't expecting to see you so quickly."

Selina shrugged. "I always leave Klaus' during the day and I didn't know where else to go."

"So," Damon sat down at the kitchen table and she took a seat across from him. "Do you have any news for me?"

"About the Originals?" Selina asked. When he nodded, she continued. "Well, the father's been immobilized already. I had to stake him to prove my werewolf loyalty. Apparently, the family's splitting up based on their vampire or werewolf loyalties and I'm stuck in the middle."

Damon leaned forward. "But if you've already showed your loyalty to the werewolves, you really _aren't_ caught in the middle."

Selina stood up. "You would think that, but it's much more complicated. Because of course the vampires want me too, and they have an ace up thier sleeve which could, in a weak moment, be difficult for me to resist, especially since you and I have split up."

At that moment, Caroline appeared. "See," she told Damon. "I thought that was a bad idea. I told you afterward, didn't I?"

"And what's this ace?" Damon asked. "Is it as powerful as they believe?"

"You want to tell him, Caroline?" Selina asked tiredly. "Because no matter who tells him, he's not going to like the answer."

"It's Tommy," Caroline said. "Selina's ex-husband."

"No," Damon stood up quickly. "Not the same ex-husband that Elijah and I stabbed and dismantled at the costume party and then buried behind the mansion."

"Yep," Selina nodded, her stomach sinking. "That very one."

"Well how the hell is he walking around?" Damon demanded. "We dismembered and decapitated him specifically so that wouldn't happen!"

Selina shrugged. "I have no idea. When I saw him, I was as shocked as you. Honestly."

"You could go and _ask_," Damon said. "I'm sure he'd be more than happy to tell you."

"I'm not so sure," Selina said hesitantly. "He caught me in bed with Klaus after we killed his father and he seemed pretty pissed off about it."

"Well," Damon said, "That's one less thing to worry about, at least."

"I think I might go pay him a visit anyway," Selina said. "It _would_ be nice to know how he came back from the dead. Again."

* * *

><p>Selina drove up to Aleksandr's residence and knocked on the door. A few minutes later, Katherine answered. "Hi," Selina said. "Can I come in?"<p>

"Why would you want to?" Katherine asked. She braced herself against the door, her arms crossed against her chest, scowling.

"Look," Selina said. "I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but I just want to talk to your brother, all right?"

Katherine laughed humorlessly. "Aleksandr wants to see you even less than I do," she said.

"I want to hear that from him," Selina said. "If I see him and he tells me that, then I'll leave and never come back. But he was my husband once and I'm not hearing any of his words second hand. Step away from the door, please."

Katherine moved resentfully out of the way and she and Selina moved inside the house just as Aleksandr was coming down the stairs. "Who was it?" He asked. "Elijah? Paul?"

"No," Katherine said. "Her."

Selina smiled. "Hi!"

"Oh," Aleksandr's scowl matched Katherine's perfectly. "What do you want? I hope you didn't come to butter me up, because that ship has said."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I just want to know how you're alive again. I at least deserve that, don't I?"

"I did it," Katherine said after a few minutes. "Mother also dabbled in the dark arts and taught me a few things."

"Oh," Selina said. "Good. I'll just go back and tell Damon that that's what happened."

Suddenly, Aleksandr's expression changed. "Damon? He knows I'm back?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Caroline and I told him."

"Why did he want to know?"

Selina shrugged. "Probably because he still assumes that you're interested in me and will try and steal me away from him."

"And," Aleksandr asked, "does he know about your dalliances with Niklaus?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "He's not allowed to be angry about that, because that's technically not my fault. It's a werewolf gene thing."

"Oh," Aleksandr nodded. "That makes sense, I guess."

"Well," Katherine said, after they sat in silence a moment, "you got what you came for, Selina. So why don't you just get on your way?"

Selina resisted. "That decision isn't really up to you, is it?" She asked. She looked at Aleksandr. "Would you like me to go?"

He nodded. "Perhaps you'd better. And if you see your father later today, would you tell him that I'd be more than happy to come with him to the baseball game on Saturday?"

"Sure," Selina said. "I'll do that for you."

"Thanks," he called after her.

* * *

><p>"Hi, honey," Matthew said in response to her knock. "Nice to see you. Would you like to come in?"<p>

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "As a matter of fact, I would. I have a question for you, Daddy. Well, a question and a message: Tommy says he can come to the baseball game on Saturday, and what the heck are you doing bonding with my ex-husband?"

"He said the two of you were getting back together," Matthew said quickly. "I thought it would give us a chance to bond."

"We aren't getting back together," Selina shook her head. "My love life is complicated enough at the moment. I don't think I could handle another husband."

"Your mother will be pleased to hear that," Matthew said. "She didn't really take to him."

"Didn't she?" Selina asked, her interest peaked. "Why not?"

Matthew shrugged. "I don't know; he seemed like a perfectly nice young man."

"If you're talking about that guy who showed up the other day, Matthew," Amelia said as she came down the stairs, "I disagree."

"Why is that, Mama?" Selina asked.

"He's completely wrong for you," Amelia said. "Different from Damon in every possible way."

"Well they married right after the war, ended, didn't they?" Matthew asked. "Maybe she needed a change then. And it lasted for ten years, which is a chunk of time, so obviously something was going right."

"If everything was going so right, why did he leave her then?" Amelia asked. "A decent man would have at least left a note of explanation for his actions."

"Thank you, Mama," Selina nodded.

"Well, I like him," Matthew said.

"Well," Selina said, "Just as a warning, when you go to his house to get him, if his sister answers and asks who you are, don't tell her that you're my father. That would be a step backward for you, because she sorta hates me at the moment. Actually they both do, to be brutally honest."

"Well," Matthew said, taking her hand, "I have no doubt you'll sort it out. You always do."

* * *

><p>That night when Selina got back to Doctor Stensrund's, Klaus was gone, but Stefan and Elena met her at the door. "Happy engagement!" They said at the same time.<p>

"Wait a minute," Selina said. "What?"

"Klaus is going to propose," Elena said. "Granted it won't be for a couple of days, and he made us promise not to tell you, but we decided to anyway."

"Klaus is going to propose to me?" asked Selina, dumbstruck. "I don't believe it."

"Well you should," Stefan said. "He told me after you left this morning that he wanted me to help him come up with the perfect proposal plan."

"And have you?" Selina asked.

"Yeah," Stefan nodded. "We put it in motion today. But remember, you have to pretend like you don't know anything."

"All right," Selina said. "No problem."

* * *

><p>A week later, it was all over the news that wealthy young woman named Fiona Farrow had disappeared from her home. Fiona lived in a nearby town and was one of the wealthiest women in Virginia.<p>

"We just don't know where she went," Fiona's mother said tearfully. "The last we saw of her, she went out on a date with her new boyfriend and just didn't come home."

The camera moved from Fiona's mother to the news anchor, who was looking grave. "As of right now," he said, "there's been no demand for ransom and no body has been found. It is believed that Fiona may still be alive, wherever she is."

"Would you believe that?" Caroline asked. "I bet her boyfriend was some sort of crazy person. "Wouldn't that be so weird?"

"Yeah," Selina said, starting to feel cold. "Guess what, Caroline? I might be getting engaged tonight."

* * *

><p>That night, Selina made her way to Klaus' with a heavy heart. She didn't know how she knew, but something told her that Klaus was the one who'd kidnapped Fiona Farrow. She walked into the house and immediately, her ears were assaulted by screams. "What the hell?" Selina asked Stefan. "What's going on? What's all that noise?"<p>

"Oh," Stefan said dismissively, "that's just your engagement present. It's been a bit antsy lately."

"Oh," Selina said. She was beginning to feel sick. She took off her coat and handed it to him just as Klaus appeared. "Hello, darling," he said, putting his arms around her.

"Hello," she said.

"You seem resistant," Klaus observed. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm all right. Remember how you asked me not to be such a bimbo at night anymore?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "It seems you've been working on it."

"Yeah," Selina said. "If I concentrate, the gene affects me less, or something like that."

"Anyway," Klaus said, "to begin tonight's activities..." he took her hand and he led her to the dining room. "Wow," Selina said. "You're actually feeding me today? Usually, you just hustle me off to the bedroom."

"Yes," Klaus said dryly. "But tonight is different."

"Is it?" Selina asked. They sat down at the table, which was laid out with pure gold dinnerware and red silk napkins. A vase of red roses was at the center of the table and the lighting was low. A moment later, Alistair appeared, clutching a bottle of wine. It was a red sweeter than Selina had ever tasted before. "I like this," she said after taking a sip. "What is it?"

"Thank you," Alistair said. "It's a special concoction of my own. Glad you like it."

After the wine had been drunk, Selina felt her earlier tension melt away. Klaus put his hand around her waist and led her down to the basement where a young woman with big blue eyes and dark hair that was plastered to her forehead was chained to a wall and screaming. She saw Selina and her screaming ceased for a moment. Then, she began to cry. "Let me go. Please let me go. My father has money. He'll give you whatever you want..."

Klaus looked at Selina, a grin spreading over his face. "What do you say? Should we let her go?"

As he spoke, Selina noticed that the woman's hand was bleeding. Blood dripped onto the floor. She began to feel the throbbing hunger that had been part of her for so long. "Yes," she said slowly. "Let her go."

Klaus opened the side door of the basement and then they cut down Fiona Farrow. The second she was loose, the woman took off running. Klaus and Selina took off after her. She wasn't hard to follow, since she was still bleeding and leaving a trail of blood wherever she ran, but even so, Selina couldn't remember when she'd ever felt so alive. Finally, Fiona tripped over a tree root and they caught her just as she was struggling to get up again, hindered by a twisted ankle. Even though she struggled, Klaus managed to hold her steady. "You want the first bite, my love?" He asked.

"Don't mind if I do," she nodded and plunged her teeth into Fiona's neck. Fiona screamed until Selina had her fill, and then Klaus drained her the rest of the way. Afterward, they buried the body underneath one of the bigger trees.

"How do you feel?" Klaus asked.

Selina sighed and put her arms around him. "I don't know. Content. Strong. Powerful. That was quite the rush."

"Let's go inside," he whispered in her ear. They went inside and as they entered the bedroom, he began kissing her neck. She kissed him back with equal intensity, both of them working to pull off one another's clothes. Then, they both fell on the bed and gave each other one more rush until the world splintered into nothing.

* * *

><p>When Selina came to again, she felt light, relaxed, langorous. Klaus was kissing her hair and she could feel the hard muscles of his body against hers. "Hey," she said.<p>

He began rubbing her back. She put her head on his shoulder. They stayed that way until he cleared his throat and then she pulled away and watched him take a box from the bedside table.

"My love," he said, "I've never met anyone quite like you, and I know I never will." He opened the box. "Will you marry me?"

Selina looked in the box and gasped. It was the most remarkable ring she'd ever seen-a giant ruby in a gold setting, surrounded by smaller diamonds. And it was displayed quite nicely on Fiona Farrow's severed finger.


	17. Cougar

Selina gaped openly. "Oh," she said. "Oh, my God, I don't believe this! Is that why she was bleeding? You cut off her finger before-? Oh, god, oh, god, oh, god!"

Klaus kept his eyes on her. "So what do you say, love?"

Selina breathed deeply. "Well, I don't really have a choice, do I?"

Klaus shook his head. "No, not really. But honestly though, Mother wants this more than I do."

"She does?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Klaus nodded and put the ring back on the bedside table. "She's apparently got it into her head that if I don't propose, you're going to go running back to Aleksandr and ruin everything."

"Well," Selina told him, "you really don't have to worry about that because I have officially wrecked things with your brother. He won't even see me. I'm like dirt to him."

Klaus grinned. "I wish I could tell you I was sorry for your loss. But I'm not."

Selina smirked. "Of course you aren't. In order to be sorry about something, you actually have to _care_ about something, and all you care about is yourself."

"So true, darling," Klaus nodded. "So true. Well, I suppose there is _one _more thing I care about."

"Oh?" Selina said curiously. "And what's that?"

"Your gorgeous, supple body." He smiled wolfishly. "Don't forget what we're here for."

Selina shook her head. "Don't hold your breath," she said. "As flattered as I am by your little proposal, it's not going to happen."

"Look," Klaus said smoothly. "It's not like we're _really_ getting married. Think of it as acting. As putting on a show for Mother. You can act, can't you?"

"Well," Selina said, "it depends on what happens if I don't agree to it."

"If you don't agree to it," Klaus said simply, "you'll die. Because Mother will kill you. Is that what you want?" He began running his fingers through her hair.

"Well," Selina said, shifting slightly, "if the choice is between being killed and marrying you, then yes, I would rather die."

He put his hand on her stomach and began kissing her neck. "I didn't think you could be so selfish," he said. "You would rather make the ones you love be bereft of you then go through a little show to keep yourself alive? It won't be much different from how things are now."

"Oh, yes it will," Selina said, trying to situate herself so that she was out of his reach. "I'll have to live here all the time. Right now, the nights are bad enough, thank you."

He burst out laughing. "Oh, that's adorable. Trying to keep that halo up high on your head when the horns are clearly starting to grow and knock it askew? Admit it. There's a part of you that's hot for me."

Selina smirked. "Don't flatter yourself. That same part would sleep with anyone that was close enough. You're nothing special."

A wave of cold fury swept over Klaus' face. Then, he relaxed. "I beg to differ," he said. He pulled her toward him and captured her mouth with his, throwing her down on the matress and kissing her deeply as he entered her.

She screamed loudly and began writhing. He'd thrusted much harder than usual, but he wanted to make her sorry. Make her beg, make her cry.

Tears began running down her cheeks and as he kissed her roughly, he tasted them. Finally, when she was unable to move much anymore, he let her flop back onto the pillow. He got up close to her.

"You never had it so good as me," he whispered.

"No," she replied weakly.

He rolled off her and neatly tucked himself in. A moment later, there was a knock at the door. "Come in, Alistair," Klaus called.

Alistair entered, carrying the tray with the wine bottle on it, along with some glasses. "Will you be needing any more?" He asked, holding up the wine bottle. "I presume a toast is in order?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded, grinning. "Yes it is." He patted Selina under the blanket. "Isn't it, darling?"

"Yes," Selina nodded.

Alistair smiled. "You seem stunned."

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded. "I got my breath taken away."

Alistair grinned and filled the wineglasses. "I hope you don't mind me having some too?"

"Of course not, Alistair," Klaus said. "This is a special occasion. Everyone should be celebrating it, and they will, once Mother finds out."

Selina just managed not to smirk. Alistair poured the wine and they toasted and drank. Then he left them.

"So," Klaus said, turning back to her. "We're alone again."

"Yes, we are," Selina nodded. "Isn't that a treat?"

Klaus nodded. "It is for me." He began licking her neck and then ran his hands over her stomach and breasts. Despite the fact that she didn't want to, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He put his arms around her and wrapped her legs aroud his waist, holding her firm. He leaned forward kissed her some more, her moans growing louder with each touch of his lips to her throat.

"Don't stop," she panted. "Don't stop."

He grinned back. "Never, my love. Never."

* * *

><p>"So," Elissavetta said when she saw them the next morning. "Is it done? Will I be hearing wedding bells in the near future?"<p>

"Yes," Selina nodded. "You will. This is a beautiful ring. Klaus told me it was yours."

"Yes," Elissavetta nodded, taking her hand that had the ring on it and eyeing it fondly. "It's the only momento I have left of Niklaus' father."

"Oh," Selina said. "I'll take good care of it, then."

Elissavetta smiled. "I know you will." She looked at the two of them. "What will you be doing today?"

"I don't know," Selina shook her head. "Maybe starting to plan the wedding...?"

Elissavetta laughed and shook her head. "Don't worry about that, dear. I'll take care of everything. You just go and tell your family the good news."

"Oh," Selina said. "Thank you, I will."

* * *

><p>To say that she was relieved for the opportunity to get out of that house would be an understatement. She got in her car and drove straight to the Mansion, where she grabbed hold of the doorknob and threw the door aside striding into the living room.<p>

"Hi," her mother said as she came down the stairs. "We weren't expecting to see you today."

"Well that's because I had no idea I'd be getting engaged before last night and there wasn't time to tell you beforehand," Selina said.

"Oh," Amelia said, her eyes narrowing. "And whom are we marrying?"

"Oh," Selina said. "You don't know him, and my reasons for the engagement are a little complicated, but trust me, I'm doing the right thing."

"If it's that hippie you were married to before, I'm going to have to register my disappointment," Amelia said.

"Why?" Selina asked. "Because I'm already married to Damon and he's the son you never had?"

"No," Amelia shook her head. "Although, now that you mention it, that _could _be a reason. But the truth of the matter is, I just don't like him."

"It's not the same guy I married after the war," Selina said. "And how do you know him?"

"He came to the house the other day," Matthew said, coming down the stairs himself. "I found him delightful."

"Well, I'm sorry, Daddy," Selina said. "But he's not the one I'm marrying. It's his brother."

"Ah," Matthew said. "What's he like?"

"Well, um-" Selina thought about the best way to describe Klaus to her parents. Saying that her reasons for marrying him were basically to avoid death_ and_ the fact that he was a master in the bedroom would _not_ go over well with either of her parents. She finally settled for saying "There's just something about him, that's all."

"What's going on?" Caroline asked.

"Apparently, Selina's engaged again, to a mystery man," Amelia said.

"Really?" Caroline asked. "Let me see the ring!"

Selina sighed and held out her hand.

Caroline sucked in a breath. "Wow, that's a big rock!"

"I know," Selina said, looking smug in spite of herself. "Isn't it?"

Suddenly, a shadow crossed Caroline's face. "So you and him are really getting married, huh?"

Selina nodded. "Yeah. Apparently, I'll get killed if I don't. There's a supernatural Trojan War going on and I'm Helen of Troy."

"Oh," Caroline nodded. "So you don't _love_ him, or anything?"

"No," Selina frowned. "That's ridiculous. His mother says she's going to plan the wedding."

"And who's going to plan your bachelorette party?" Caroline asked. "Elena and I could whip something up if you want."

"Sure, whatever," Selina said. "I don't care."

* * *

><p>Caroline was sitting out in the backyard when Elena happened by. "Hey," she said, taking a seat. "Did you hear that Selina got engaged?"<p>

"Yeah," Caroline nodded. "She stopped by the house earlier to tell us all about it. I offered to plan her a bachelorette party, but she didn't seem all that enthused about the idea."

"Why not?" Elena asked.

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know. But you could ask her. She's coming right now."

Elena went over to meet Selina as she came toward the table. "What's this about you not wanting a bachelorette party?"

Selina shrugged. "I just don't. It all seems kind of stupid and shallow to me."

Elena sat back down. "I can't believe you want to pass up spending the night before your wedding getting hammered with a bunch of gorgeous, muscular, naked men."

Selina nodded. "See, and that's the point: it wouldn't really be a change of pace for me. I, and I will admit this in spite of myself, am marrying one of the most perfectly formed men in existence.* And Caroline, you get to see more of Tyler more often than the average woman gets to see of her man unless the couple are nudists or something. So really, where's the thrill? Where are we going wild, honestly?"

"We aren't," Caroline said. "You make a very good point."

"I know I do," Selina said.

Elena cleared her throat. "So has Klaus' mother told you when the wedding is yet?"

Selina shook her head. "No, but I think I'll ask her today. I promise I'll tell you as soon as I know."

"I'm going to be a bridesmaid, right?" Elena asked.

Selina nodded. "Of course. And Caroline, you've got to come too. I'll find some way to get you in." She leaned back in the chair and sighed heavily.

"What now?" Caroline asked.

"Well," Selina said, "now I have to run to the boardinghouse and tell Damon that I've gotten engaged again. That'll be fun."

"Good luck!" Elena called after her as she steeled herself, stood up, and headed to her car.

* * *

><p>Selina pulled up to the boardinghouse and tried her hardest to get out of the car and go inside, but she was too chicken. Instead, she just stopped the car and sat in the front seat, staring up at the house. "It'll be okay," she told herself. "He probably <em>expects<em> something like this to happen. Otherwise he wouldn't have made sure to 'break up' with me."

"Yeah," another part of her said. "But he's still not going to like it." Finally, she took another deep breath and got out of the car, racing up the boardinghouse steps before she lost her nerve. She grabbed the key out from under the mat and threw the door open.

Someone was sitting on the sofa and when the door opened, they started.

"Mother?" He asked. "What are _you_ doing here? Father said you'd gone away for awhile."

"I did," Selina nodded. "Sorry I scared you. Where _is_ your father? Is he here?"

"Yes," Joshua nodded. "He's in his room."

Selina smiled. "Thank you, dear," she said, and sprinted up the stairs.

* * *

><p>The look on Damon's face when he opened his bedroom door in response to her knock was a mix of surprise and consternation. "You're here!" he said. Then his eyes narrowed. "Why are you here? Did something go wrong?"<p>

"No," Selina shook her head. "Everything is going according to plan. I just thought I'd stop by and let you know I've gotten engaged again. You aren't upset, are you?"

"Well," Damon said as he let her into his room. "honestly, yes I am, because you're married to _me_. But based on the circumstances, I'm not as mad as I could be because the engagement's for a good cause. Now, who's your husband going to be?"

"Does it matter?" Selina asked.

"Yes, it _matters_," Damon said. "I know that ex-husband of yours got brought back to life. Is he the one?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "It was Klaus. Although, if I would have stuck with the initial plan and sidded with the vampires, then yes, it _would_ have been my ex-husband that I married."

"God," Damon said. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but part of me is happy about this."

"Because I'm not remarrying the nut who starved me, kidnapped you, and then tried to make me kill you?" Selina asked knowingly.

"Yeah," Damon said. "That's it. I would be more upset if you were marrying him, I think. So, when's the wedding?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know yet. Klaus' mother said that she'd take care of the details. I'm going to ask her today."

* * *

><p>Selina left the boardinghouse with a clean conscience and a promise to keep Damon updated on anything that was going on. It seemed like everything was perfect until, just before she reached Doctor Stensrund's, Caroline called.<p>

"Hey," Selina said. "What's up?"

"Tyler's gone missing!" Caroline shrieked into the phone. "I don't see him all day, and then I get this phone call from this really freaky sounding woman telling me she has Tyler and to not come looking for him. But I'm going to, okay? Would you come help me search?"

"Of course," Selina said. "Actually, I think I _might _know where he is. I'll get him back for you, Caroline. It'll be safer that way."

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked.

"I have a hunch," Selina said, "that my future mother in law has Tyler so she can have him as an escort to my wedding. Maybe I can talk her out of it. But if I can't, I will _definitely_ find a way to get you into the wedding so you can get him back. I promise."

"All right," Caroline said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Selina said. "And try not to worry too much. It'll be all right."

"I know," Caroline said. "I trust you. Goodbye, Selina."

Selina hung up her phone and drove the rest of the way to Doctor Stensrund's in silence. She parked her car in the garage and went inside. She found Elissavetta in the dining room, writing out wedding invitations. "Hello, dear!" Elissavetta said, putting the pen down as Selina came in. "Did you tell everyone who needed to know the good news?"

"Yes," Selina nodded.

"I was thinking we'd keep it small," Elissavetta continued. "You and Niklaus, the girls, me, and anyone else you and Niklaus care to invite. I've made up invitations for people I _know_ are going to be there."

"Wonderful," Selina said. "So, are you bringing a date to the wedding, or are you coming on your own?"

Elissavetta looked up at her quickly. "Of course I have a date, dear. It wouldn't _do _for the mother of the groom to show up unescorted, would it?"

"Do I know the guy?" Selina asked.

"Oh, yes," Elissavetta nodded. "That handsome and charming cousin of yours."

"He's married, you know," Selina said. "And his wife is worried sick about him."

"Don't be ridiculous, dear," Elissavetta said. "She can spare him for a few days."

Selina opened her mouth to say something more, but realized it would be pointless.

* * *

><p>That evening found Caroline at the Grill, nursing drinks she'd compelled the bartender to make for her. They weren't helping, though. Mostly because they all tasted like salt. She was on her fourth when she heard the voice behind her. "Can I join you?" She turned and saw Stefan. "Sure," she said, sniffling and rubbing her eyes. "Sure, have a seat."<p>

He sat and ordered a drink, then turned to look at her. "So what brings you here?" He asked.

"Selina's stupid mother in law," Caroline said. "She has Tyler and I don't know how to get him back. She wanted him as a date to the wedding and I know _I'm_ not going to be invited, and even if I was, I wouldn't have a date."

"You could come with me," Stefan said. "In fact, I'd be honored if you would."

"Really?" Caroline asked. "What about Elena?"

"She has to be paired with somebody else," Stefan said. "Apparently Klaus' mother likes her better than me."

"In that case," Caroline said. "I'd be honored to accompany you to Selina's wedding."


	18. When in Rome

The shrill chirping of the birds outside her window brought Selina to her senses. She sat up, momentarily disorientented, and then her eye caught the calendar next to the door. Each day had been crossed off with a harsh black **X**. Now the presumably current date was circled in bright red. Groaning, Selina put a hand to her forehead and fell back onto the pillow, pulling the comforter over her head. "Oh, God," she said. "I don't want to get out of bed this morning!"

At that moment, Klaus came out of the bathroom. "I like the sound of that," he said, climbing in next to her. "Let's just stay in bed today."

"We can't." Selina said, shaking him off as he put his arms around her and began kissing her neck. "We have to get _married_ today, remember? Any moment now, I bet your mother's going to come barging in here and demand that we dress."

"Well, yes," Klaus said. "But she's not here yet, so let's make the best of the time we have."

"No," Selina shook her head. "Have you completely lost your mind? I don't want to marry you, you don't want to marry me, so why in the hell are we doing this?" She pushed the sheets aside and went to put on a bathrobe.

"What makes you think I don't want to marry you?" Klaus asked as she came out of the bathroom.

"Well," Selina said, "you think I'm hopelessly dull during the day. You've said so numerous times."

"True," Klaus nodded. "But with some careful work, we can fix that."

Selina glared at him. "You mean you want to turn me into a bimbo."

"No," Klaus shook his head and got out of bed to come stand next to her, putting his arms around her shoulders. "But it really wouldn't hurt you to loosen up a little."

Selina rolled her eyes. "Not everyone can be the life of the party, you know. Some people have to be responsible, and since that's not really one of your greatest talents, it falls to me."

"Yes," Klaus began nibbling on her ear. "Would you like to_ see_ some of my greatest talents?"

She moaned and he rotated her so that they were facing one another. Then, he untied her robe and pushed it off her shoulders. They kissed and she threw her arms around his neck. They were just about back to the bed when there was a sharp knock at the door. With one last kiss, they pulled apart.

"Oh, hell," Selina whispered angrily. "It's your mother. I just know it."

Rolling his eyes, Klaus put some pants on and Selina got her robe on again. "Come in," she called tiredly.

Elissavetta opened the door and strode in. "Lovely day for a wedding, isn't it?" She asked.

Klaus and Selina nodded but said nothing.

Elissavetta frowned for a moment. "I hope the two of you are more cheerful in the wedding pictures. This is supposed to be the happiest day of your lives. Now get dressed. We have to be at the church in half an hour!" And with that, she strode out, slamming the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Selina stuck her tongue out at the door. " 'happiest day of your lives'...yeah right. The happiest day of _my_ life is the day when _she _finally drops dead!" She looked sheepishly at Klaus. "No offense."

Klaus sighed. "None taken. I admit that Mother can be a bit overbearing at times."

"Well that's certainly an understatement," Selina said as she began dressing. "Did you know that she planned this whole thing..._without_ any input from me? I don't even know what the hell my dress looks like! I asked her and she said she wanted it to be a 'surprise.' I've had nightmares ever since."

Klaus looked at her. "Why _are_ we going through with this?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. Because it's something your mother wants and she'll kill us if we don't do what she says?"

Klaus grinned mischievously. "Not if she can't _find_ us."

Selina frowned. "What do you mean?"

Klaus took her in his arms again. "What if I told you," he began, "that there was an island chain somewhere, where we could go and have all the fun we wanted and we wouldn't have to answer to anybody?"

"I'd ask where this fictitious island chain is," Selina said.

"It's not fictious actually," Klaus said. "I discovered it about a hundred years before Cortez conquered the Aztecs."

Selina laughed. "You did not."

He nodded. "I did so. They consider me to be their chief god. I visit once every century, and it's about time."

"How are you going to explain me to them?" She asked.

"I'll think of something," Klaus said. "Trust me. Now get dressed. We don't want to agitate Mother more than we already have."

* * *

><p>Elissavetta wouldn't let them ride in the same car for the trip to the church. "There has to be <em>some <em>mystery left in your relationship," she said. "Besides, you and I need to have a chat."

"About what?" Selina asked nervously.

"Nothing bad," Elissavetta said quickly. "I just wanted to let you in on the wedding details, which I'm sure is nothing Niklaus would be interested in."

"Oh," Selina said brightly. "Do I finally get to see my dress?"

"No," Elissavetta smiled. "That'll have to wait until later. But you'll love it, I promise. I'm a very good judge of people's personal style."

Selina seriously doubted that.

"Now," Elissavetta continued, "the wedding party is very small: you and Niklaus, me, Lilith, Anna, your cousin Tyler, Elena, and Aleksandr who came to me just after I decided about the wedding offering to bury the hatchet."

"Wait," Selina said. "_Aleksandr _is going to be at the wedding? I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with that."

"Why ever not?" Elissavetta asked.

"He and I have a history," Selina said. "Did you know that we were married once before?"

Elissavetta's eyes widened. "You were married to Aleksandr before? I had no idea!"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "That's probably why he wanted to bury the hatchet and come to the wedding, so he could try and steal me away and get me on the vampire side of things."

"Well that's not going to work, is it?" Elissavetta asked. "You no longer have feelings for Aleksandr, do you?"

Selina shook her head. "No, he thinks I'm worse than dirt because I decided to side with you, but you never know."

"I don't think I need to warn you to be extra careful then," Elissavetta warned. "Nothing can go wrong today."

"Oh, it won't," Selina assured her. "I promise."

"Good," Elissavetta said. It was at that point that they arrived at the church. They parked the car and Elissavetta went inside with her. "Go to your dressing room," she instructed. "And close your eyes. I don't want you to open them until I put the dress on you. I can't wait to see the look on your face!"

* * *

><p>"Oh, my God." Selina had just opened her eyes after Elissavetta and her attendant helped put on the wedding dress.<p>

"So what do you think?" Elissavetta asked. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Selina had paled. "Oh, well," she said. "There really are no words to describe my feelings about this dress."

"Oh, it's all right, dear." Elissavetta said. "Your stunned silence is thanks enough. Now, do you need anything else? Otherwise, we'll be waiting for you outside."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I think I'll be all right now. Thank you, Elissavetta."

Elissavetta smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "You're welcome, dear. See you out there." Then, they left the dressing room. Selina was all alone. She picked up the skirt to the dress and groaned. It was the most atrocious-looking gown she'd ever put on. It was so poofy it looked as if it would swallow her up any minute. There was enough lace, ruffles and ribbons to supply several dress shops, and the skirt was so wide she figured that she'd need at least three people to shove her out the door when it was time for the ceremony. She frowned again and blew a raspberry at the mirror.

A knock at the door made her start. She picked up her skirts and ran to sit on the sofa before saying calmly, "Come in."

Klaus entered. "All right, love. If we're going to go, now's as good a time as..." he paused when he caught sight of her dress. They sat in silence a moment, then he burst out laughing. "Oh, my God," he said when he could finally get his breath. "What the hell is that you're wearing?"

"It's the dress your mother bought me," Selina said moodily. "Atrocious, isn't it? I can't wait to take it off." When she said that, his laughter switched off. He strode toward her and put his arms around her, trying to get a grip on some part of her, any part of her at all

"This is odd," he said. "For the first time, I can't feel any of you."

"Is that so?" Selina asked. "That's probably why your mother picked out this dress. So we could focus on the job at hand and not be distracted."

"Well, she did a good job," Klaus admitted, his fingers trailing down the bodice of the gown. "I've never felt less aroused by you in my life." He lapsed into silence and then more peals of laughter.

"Hey!" Selina snapped. "Shut up! You wouldn't happen to have a cigarette and a light, would you?"

"Of course," Klaus said. "I didn't know you smoked."

"I stopped years ago," Selina said, taking the cigarette from him and holding it out for him to light up. Then she inhaled gustily, blowing out a twisting plume of white smoke. "But sometimes, shit happens, you know? Like right now."

Klaus nodded, taking a cigarette for himself. "But we can get away from all this, you know. That's what I came in for, you know. We're supposed to be married in less than twenty minutes, so if we're going to stealthily slip away, we might as well do it now."

Selina inhaled again. "And just how are we planning to get away?"

"Alistair, of course," Klaus said. "I told him what we were thinking of doing and he's got the car outside right now. But hidden away so nobody can see it."

"Will I fit in the car?" Selina asked.

Klaus nodded. "We can _make _you fit. So," he said, grinning at her with one side of his lip up, "do you want to go, or not?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Of course I do. Anywhere's better than here."

They gazed at each other in silence for a few seconds more, then made a run for it, with Selina just barely fitting out the door. To their amazement, no one tried to follow them.

"Damn, that was lucky," Selina said, taking a deep breath as the church door was shut behind them. "If someone would have caugh us, we would have had a problem on our hands."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "But no one did, so we don't have to worry about it, now do we?"

Selina shook her head. "No, we aren't going to worry about things anymore. We're just going to relax."

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. He led her over to the car where Alistair stood waiting.

"Glad to see you made it out all right," Alistair said. "To the pier?"

Klaus nodded and helped Selina into the car. "Yes, Alistair. To the pier."

* * *

><p>Anna looked up as her mother stormed into sanctuary. "What's the matter, Mother? Has something happened?"<p>

"Yes," Elissavetta nodded. "Niklaus and Selina have disappeared!"

"Disappeared?" Anna asked. "Why would they do that? You don't think Paul and Aleksandr got hold of them somehow, do you?"

"That must be the case," Elissavetta nodded. "Because I _know_ they wouldn't defy me by going and leaving."

"We should probably go and rescue them somehow," Anna said. "Who knows what they're being subjected to?"

* * *

><p>"Wow," Selina said, looking at the fifty-foot-long cabin cruiser. "<em>This<em> is your boat?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded, grinning at the look on her face. "Homey little thing, isn't it?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I _guess_."

Klaus took her hand and led her onto the boat. He took her into a stateroom and shut the door behind them, locking it. "So," he said, looking her over, his lip quirking. "I assume you need help getting that off?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I think I do. Would you be willing?"

He grinned. "Gladly."

It took much longer than usual for the two of them to get undressed, but finally they managed it and collapsed onto the bed, burrowing under the covers.

"So," Selina said as he kissed her neck. "Tell me about where we're going."

"It's a beautiful place," he said running a line of kisses down her torso. "Once we get there, you'll never want to leave."

"Oh, really?" She moaned. "Sounds great."

"Yes," he nodded. "Everyone's very free there. It's paradise."

"I noticed that neither of us has suitcases," Selina said. "What are we supposed to do without clothes once we get there? Run around naked?"

His expression sobered slightly, but there was still a twinkle in his eye.

"Wonderful," Selina sighed. "You're taking me to a nudist colony."

"Oh, don't worry," Klaus said. "They're big fans of alcohol too, and my arrival is always an occasion to celebrate. You'll get so drunk you won't remember a thing."

"Wait," Selina said, pushing him off her. "Is that supposed to make me _feel better_?"

"Well, yes," Klaus nodded. "As usual, you're very tense."

Selina nodded. "And as usual, it's your fault!"

Klaus rolled his eyes, got out of bed and put his pants back on leaving the room for a moment. When he came back, he was holding a drink. "Here," he said, giving it to her. "Have a sip or two. It'll do you some good."

"What is it?" Selina asked suspiciously.

"Would I give you anything bad?" Klaus asked. "Don't you trust me?"

"No," Selina glared at him and shook her head.

"Fine," Klaus turned away and began drinking some himself. "But you're really missing out."

She watched him drink for a few seconds. Nothing bad seemed to be happening to him. "Are you sure that stuff's okay?" She asked finally.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "It's okay."

She watched him closely but his expression didn't change. Finally, she grabbed the cup out of his grasp and took a gulp. "Wow," she said once she'd swallowed. "That _is _good. What is it?"

Klaus grinned. "Just a little specialty of the island," he said easily. "To prepare you for what's to come."

"Seriously?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "You can't wait, can you?"

Selina shook her head. "How long until we get there?"

"It'll probably take a few days," Klaus said. "Can you deal with that?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I think I can."

* * *

><p>She woke up to something sharp poking under her back. She shifted slightly and then sat up. Her head hurt. <em>Really<em> hurt. She looked around. She was sitting on a white sand beach. On either side of her were two very attractive young men, bronzed, muscular and naked. When she looked down, she realized that she was too.

"Oh, God," she whispered. "What did I do? What did I do?"

She began breathing deeply to try and keep calm, then one of them, a green eyed blonde, turned to face her. "You're awake," he said, looking at her in something like awe. He nudged his companion. "The Beautiful One is awake!"

The other one opened his eyes, glanced at her, and started. "I'm sorry," he said. "We had no idea you were up, otherwise we wouldn't have kept you waiting."

"What?" She asked, confused. "I don't even know where I am, or who you are, or what the hell is going on!"

"You are the bride of the Great One," the blonde one explained. "You chose us last night. We were honored." He kissed her hand and began trying to kiss more of her.

"Wait, wait," Selina said. "Chose you for...to sleep with me? But...I'm confused."

The other young man began rubbing her shoulders. "It's part of the custom of the island," he explained. "Two days ago, you and The Great One arrived one the island and that in itself was cause for celebration, but when it was announced that _you _were the one the Great One intended to marry, well, that required even _more_ celebration. Our leader brought out his best wine and..."

"Obviously we all had too much of it, because here we are," Selina finished. "Have we seriously been like this for two days?"

"You have," the raven-haired guy nodded. "After the high priest married you, you announced that you intended to bless all the men on the island by giving each of us your body."

"_All_ the men on the island?" Selina asked. She was beginnning to feel sick.

"Yes," the blonde one nodded. "Your stamina will become legendary."

Selina rolled her eyes. "For the love of..." She stood up. "Where's something to cover myself up with?" She snapped. "I need to go see my husband and I don't want to be traipsing around without anything on. It's indecent!"

They looked at her nervously, but said nothing. Finally, she shook her head and strode off.

Every person she passed got down on their knees before her, muttering some sort of blessing. She paid no attention. She walked to the ocean's edge where she spied a fisherman getting ready to leave on his boat. He was arranging two fishing nets so they sat neatly on the boat's floor. "Hey," she said to him. "Give me one of your nets."

He gaped at her and handed it over. Then, she put it around herself. It wasn't the best coverage, but it was better than nothing. Then, she strode purposefully to what seemed to be the biggest house and threw the door open. She couldn't see anyone, but loud giggling and screams from one of the back rooms told her exactly where to go. As she opened the door from where the noise had emanated, the giggles became shrieks as the three girls Klaus had in bed with him rushed to cover themselves up.

"You three," Selina snapped. "Out. _Now." _

The girls got out of the bed and began to scream and weep, throwing themselves at her feet and muttering what seemed to be pleas for mercy. Like the rest of their countrymen, these girls were unclothed.

Selina ordered them out again and they ran, weeping.

"I hope you're proud of yourself," Selina said, glaring at Klaus who was grinning at her wickedly from the bed.

"As a matter of fact, I am," he nodded. "And from what I hear, you've got something to be proud of as well."

"Yeah, well I'm not," Selina pulled the net tighter around herself. "I feel like a slut!"

"Well, darling," Klaus said, pulling the net away as he coaxed her into the bed. "that's just how things are around here. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

And with that, he captured her mouth in his and stuck his hand between her thighs.


	19. A Little Island Magic

Selina woke up before Klaus the next morning, getting out of bed and coming to stand and look out the door with her hands on either side of the doorframe, sighing contentedly. It was so beautiful that she almost forgot she'd eloped with the most evil guy on the planet, gotten drunk and then slept with every guy on the island.

"Hey," said the voice behind her. "What are you looking at?"

Selina didn't bother turning around. "I'm just admiring nature and you're wrecking it. Go back to bed, why don't you?"

She rolled her eyes as she felt his warm grip around her waist. "If you want to admire something," he whispered, "come back to bed _with _me."

Selina scoffed. "I don't think I will. Get over yourself. That might work with your little _fan club_, but it doesn't work with me."

He laughed and slowly turned her around. "Are you jealous?"

Selina shook her head. "No. And even if I was, I doubt you'd give a damn."

His lip quirked. "So you_ are_. Jealous, I mean."

"No," Selina shook her head. "The only thing I am is disgusted, okay? Disgusted by everything I've done the last three days. I want to go home."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "We aren't going to do that."

Selina nodded furiously. "Yes we are! You are going to take me home right now."

He turned her around again. "Why?" He asked. "Do you really want to leave all this?"

Selina looked longingly out at the water, which was being lit by the just-rising sun. "No," she said reluctantly. "I don't."

"Exactly," Klaus said. "So what's the problem?"

"The_ problem_," Selina said, "is that I'm here with _you_. That's the fly in the ointment."

"It shouldn't be," Klaus said easily. "If _anyone _needs to be on this island with me, it's you."

Selina frowned. "And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It _means_," he said pointedly, "That when you pull whatever's up there out of your ass, you're actually kind of fun. Two days ago, I was the most attracted to you I've ever been."

"Of course you were," Selina said. "We're all naked around here and you've made it _very _clear you like me for my body."

"Well, yes," Klaus grinned. "There is that, but that wasn't what I was referring to."

Selina turned away from the door and went to sit on the bed. "Well then, what _were_ you referring to?"

He shrugged. "Just that I like seeing you happy, that's all. Calm, relaxed. It's such a rarity with us, isn't it?"

She looked at him uncertainly. He _seemed_ like he was being honest, but she wasn't entirely sure. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

He took a deep breath. "I don't know. Now let's go for a swim. The water's nice and warm." He held out his hand. She eyed him nervously.

"Come on, love," he said quietly. "Take a risk. You know you want to."

Slowly, she reached out her hand and he took it, leading her out of the building and onto the beach. They waded into the water, and when it was waist high on him, he splashed her. She screamed and splashed back. Finally, they were both drenched from head to toe and when she brought up her arm for one last splash, he caught her and pulled her to him. She didn't struggle. When he kissed her, she put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Then, he picked her up and carried her back into their house and they put that legendary stamina of theirs to work. When their respective fan clubs arrived in the morning, Klaus, who was firmly settled right where he wanted to be, shifted slightly as he turned around, causing Selina to let out a satisfied moan, and he faced the servant who'd interrupted them and said, "Tell them we won't be seeing anyone today."

"Really?" Selina asked in surprise. "Why is that?"

Klaus grinned. "Maybe I just want to have sex with my wife. Crazy idea, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Absolutely nuts."

* * *

><p>"So," Klaus said after awhile. "Have you had enough yet?"<p>

Selina laughed. "Oh, please. Apparently, my stamina will become legendary. But I could use a drink. Can I get one?"

"Of course," Klaus nodded. "But I have to warn you, it's the same drink that made you go on that two day bender when we got here."

Selina shrugged. "It could have been worse. I mean, I _did_ wake up on the beach sandwiched between two _very _good-looking guys."

Klaus grinned. "I'm only sorry I couldn't have been one of them."

Selina shook her head. "It's okay. I know you were busy."

"Yes," Klaus laughed, remembering what he'd been doing while Selina was on her bender. "I certainly was."

Selina sat up. "I think I want that drink now." She got out of bed and called for one of the servants. She told him what she wanted and he brought it to her a few minutes later.

"Hey," she said when she had it firmly in her grasp. "Wanna see how quickly I can drink this?"

A grin slowly spread over Klaus' face. He knew that what she had was the sort of thing you had to drink slowly or else you'd run into trouble, but he _had_ missed seeing the effects of a binge last time, and he couldn't wait to see what she'd do. "Sure," he said. "I'll get one myself and we can have a contest."

"Oh, really?" Selina asked. "I'm going to win."

"Oh, I don't know," Klaus said when he came back with his. "I'm very good at holding my liquor. _You, _on the other hand, are weak. Soft. But that shouldn't surprise you. Girls just can't handle alcohol anyway." He took a sip of his drink and watched her.

"You've obviously never seen me drink before," she said angrily. "I can handle stuff just as well as you...no, even _better_ than you. So..." She blew a raspberry and downed the drink in one gulp. "See?" She said. "I _told_ you. I'll even have another one."

"Oh, yes," Klaus nodded. "That'll show me."

She snatched his out of his hand and downed it. Then, she burst into giggles. "I win again!"

He smirked. Tempting the virtuous and then seeing how easily they fell from grace was one of his favorite games. Selina, one of his favorite subjects. He could get her to do any _number_ of things while she was drunk. But what to make her do? Suddenly, he got an idea.

"Darling," he said to her, "there are some things about this island that I haven't told you yet."

"What?" Selina asked.

"Well," he said carefully, "part of the for lack of a better word, religion on this island is that you, as my chief wife, must bless a virgin under my supervision."

Selina frowned. "Whaddaya mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," he said. "You have to pick one of the local girls, bring her down to the ocean and you must splash her with water until she's wet."

"Really?" Selina asked. Her gaze was becoming unfocused.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. He was really beginning to warm up to this idea. "It's to purify her. And then she has to splash you."

Selina blinked. "And then what do I do with her?"

He grinned. "Anything you want."

* * *

><p>After Selina had had one more drink, they called one of the servants and asked that the most beautiful girl on the island be brought to the house. The servant grinned. "I have just the one in mind for you," he said, bowing to Klaus. "I believe you'll enjoy her very much."<p>

"Oh, thank you," Klaus grinned. "I'm sure I will."

The servant left the room and returned later in the day with a girl who looked to be about sixteen or so. Her dark hair fell to just below her shoulders, and she was small and fine-boned. Delicate. She wouldn't look at them directly, but she didn't seem afraid.

"You asked for me?" She said quietly.

"Yes," Selina nodded and began stroking the girl's hair. "You're very beautiful."

"Thank you," the girl inclined her head slightly.

Klaus leaned forward. "The Beautiful One would like to bless you," he said. "And I will be coming along."

"I am honored," she said in the same quiet voice.

They led her down to the ocean and she and selina got into the water. The first splash threw her a little, but after Selina assured her it was okay to splash back, they were splashing each other very enthusiastically, and jumping up and down. Klaus was having a very good time. When they were both good and wet, he insisted they go back to the house and continue with the "blessing."

First, he watched as Selina slowly towled off every inch of the girl's body. Then, they climbed into bed and Selina began stroking the girl's body, her face, her neck, her throat. Then she bit down hard. Blood spurted all over the sheets and the girl screamed. Selina began lapping up the blood that was flowing freely from the gaping wound, and when the girl was very nearly dead, Selina looked up at Klaus. Her eyes were large, limpid pools of blue, her hair was in wild disarray, and she had blood dripping from her mouth.

He gazed at her for a moment, before taking her in his arms and slowly licking the blood from her lips. Then, he kissed her, long kisses that took her breath away, running his hands over her breasts and smearing them with the girl's blood, which he slowly and leisurely licked off, laughing at Selina's cries of ecstasy.

When it was all over, and the girl was finally dead, Selina looked up at him. "What should we do with her?" She asked in a hushed voice. "Do you want to keep her for when I'm busy?"

He thought a moment. "Yes," he said finally. "Yes I do. Would that be all right with you?"

Selina grinned. "Of course it would." She looked at the dead girl again. "I just thought of something," she said as she stroked the girl's hair.

"What?" Klaus asked.

"I wonder how things are going at our wedding," she mused. "I mean, we left before it even started and that was what, three days ago? I bet your mother's _really _mad at us."

"I don't doubt she is," Klaus grinned. "But we're having much more fun here, aren't we?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Yes we are."


	20. The Getaway

Damon was beginning to regret what he'd done. He'd been alone at the boardinghouse ever since he'd sent Selina away. Finally, it had just become too much and Alaric had invited Damon to move in with him. "Just for the company," he'd said. "You clearly shouldn't be alone anymore." He'd insisted he was fine, but he wasn't really fooling anybody.

"Am I really that transparent?" He asked as he gulped down a glass of scotch.

"Yes," Alaric nodded. "What's going on with the two of you, anyway? You didn't have a fight, did you?"

Damon shook his head. "She's doing undercover work and in order for it to go off without a hitch, we had to separate for awhile. I haven't heard a word from her since."

"It can't be as bad as you think," Alaric said. "Maybe she's busy, or hasn't found anything worth telling you about yet."

"Maybe," Damon said. "Or maybe not. And if it's maybe not, I deserve it, don't I? I mean, I wasn't always there for her, was I?"

"No," Alaric shook his head. "But the two of you have doing really well lately. She'll call, I promise."

Just then, Damon's phone rang. He opened it. "Hello?"

"Hey, hon," said the voice on the other end. "I know I haven't called since we 'broke up' but I've been a little busy."

Damon slowly lowered the phone from his ear. "How many drinks have I had?"

"Just the one," Alaric replied. "Why?"

Damon handed him the phone. "Take this and say hello. If you hear Selina, then I'll know that something's not wrong with me."

"Selina's calling you?" Alaric asked. "Why aren't you talking to her?"

"Because," Damon said, "that doesn't happen! It's not possible for a person to talk about another person and then have that person call them on the phone the very next second. Do you understand me?"

Alaric shook his head. "No."

Damon held out the phone and shook it. "Here. Just take it and say hello."

"All right." Alaric took the phone from him and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Alaric?" Selina's voice on the other end was puzzled. "What are _you_ doing with Damon's phone?"

"We went out for a drink," Alaric said. "He's not doing too well. You called just in time."

"Aww!" Selina said. "That's so sad. Hand him back over, would you?"

"Sure," Alaric took the phone away from his ear and held it out to Damon. "She wants to talk to you again."

"You mean," Damon said, "you heard her too?"

"Yes," Alaric said patiently. "She really _is _calling you. Just go with it."

Damon nodded. "Okay." He cleared his throat and began talking into the phone again. "Sorry about that. I was a little surprised because I haven't heard from you in awhile."

"I know," Selina said. "And I'm sorry. You aren't doing well?"

"It's nothing," Damon said. "The house is a little big when I'm in it by myself, that's all."

"Oh," Selina said. "Stefan and Elena are still at Doctor Stensrund's acting all nutty and compelled?"

"Yeah," Damon said. "It's a real treat, let me tell you. And _speaking_ of that, where are you calling from? They came over in a snit a few days ago and were all upset that you didn't show up for your wedding."

"Oh," Selina laughed. "We decided to skip that. We still got married, but we got married someplace...else."

"Like where?" Damon asked curiously.

"Well," Selina said, "to tell you the truth, I don't really know _where _we are, just that it's a tropical island where no one wears clothes, everyone drinks and the entire population worships Klaus as their god. I'm hiding out from my fan club on his yacht right now."

Damon clutched the phone tighter. "You're on Klaus' yacht? He has a _yacht_? And what do you mean by 'fan club?'"

"It's _nothing,_" Selina reassured him. "I promise! And my fan club is just a bunch of guys who all want to sleep with me and have me bear their children because they believe I'm some sort of goddess."

"Uh-huh," Damon said flatly.

"Come on," Selina said. "Don't be like that. I hate it, honestly. I miss you, and clothes and civilization. Do you think that if I started a feminist insurrection, they'd kick me out and I'd be able to get home?"

Damon couldn't listen to any more. He turned the phone off and looked up at the bartender. "More of the same," he said, holding up his glass. "And make it a double."

* * *

><p>Selina frowned as the phone abruptly cut off. "I wonder what's wrong with <em>him<em>?" she said, and then put the phone back down on the bedside table. A moment later, there was a knock on the stateroom door. "Come in," she called. Klaus entered a minute later. "Why are we hiding away in here?" he asked, grinning.

"I just needed a break," Selina said. "And I figured no one would follow me here."

Klaus nodded. "Ah."

"Look," Selina said. "This has been a nice break and all, but I really want to go home. Can we go home?"

Klaus frowned. "Why would you want to go home? We're in paradise here."

Selina nodded. "That's true, but you know, I want to see _people, _and have friends and normal conversations and-"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "I'm afraid that isn't possible."

Selina nodded. "It is! We can just get on the boat and sail back. Then I can be at home, and you can be worshipped here by all the blindly adoring island girls you want, so everyone's happy."

Klaus' lip quirked. "Do you honestly believe you'll be able to go back to your home and be as you were before after this?"

Selina nodded. "Yes, yes I do believe that. Because it's true."

Klaus ran his fingers through her hair. "My sweet, delusional darling," he said. There was something like pity in his eyes.

"What?" Selina asked. "Stop looking at me like that!"

"I can't help myself," he said. "It's just so sad." He gave an exaggerated sniffle.

"Why?" Selina demanded. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"They say you can never go home again," he said. "And you can't. You've gone too far."

Selina laughed. "I have not. I'm perfectly fine."

He laughed too. "Don't lie, darling. I _saw _you when we had that girl yesterday. You enjoyed killing her, didn't you?"

"No," Selina said shakily. "No, I didn't! I've never enjoyed killing _anybody_ in my entire life!"

Klaus' eyebrow went up. "Never? Oh, really?"

She thought a moment. Then, she shut her eyes.

_It was late at night. Dark, although not as dark as it usually was because a bright full moon shown through the open curtains of the windows. It was cold. Frost had collected on the window panes and she could see her breath as she made her way carefully toward the main stairway that would lead her to the ground floor of the house. It was time. She'd had enough. When she reached the top of the stairwell, she put the her candle out ahead of her and stepped slowly down the stairs, one foot after the other. When she reached the bottom, she blew the candle out and put the holder at the foot of the stairs. Then, she picked up the skirt of her long, white nightgown and began striding noiselessly toward the library. Doctor Stensrund always smoked in there after he sent her to bed. She found the library door open a crack and pushed it the rest of the way. It had a squeaky hinge so she had no hope of being suspicious. She made it just inside the door before he turned, taking his pipe out from between his teeth, staring at her inquisitively._

_"I thought I sent you to bed," he said._

_She came inside the rest of the way. "You did, sir. But it's too cold in my room. I can't relax."_

_He nodded, the hair on his snowy white head barely moving. "I see," he said. He pulled the pipe out from between his teeth and grinned, coming to stand over her. "Now," he said, "be a good girl and go back to your room. I'll bring you a glass of warm milk to help you sleep."_

_She shook her head. "I think I'd like something...else." And at that moment, she took hold of the wrist that was coming down to pat her on the head again and snapped it. He groaned and tried to get a hand around her throat, but she easily overpowered him, throwing him to the floor. "You always said you wanted me to learn the ways of the hunt," she said, baring her teeth. "Would you like to see what a fast learner I am?" __He opened his mouth again, but no sound came out. She'd bitten down hard on his throat and torn out his larynx. She watched as the blood poured out of him, running her tongue over her lips. She shut his unseeing eyes and began lapping the blood off his neck, chin and shirt, laughing as she did so. She was finally free. _

_Just then, there was a knock on the front door and a voice called out "Doctor Stensrund, sir...are you all right?" Gasping, she dragged the body into the hall closet, leaving a trail of blood behind her. Then, she looked out one of the windows: it was her uncle Charlie, along with the sheriff, Damon and Stefan's father, and some of the other men. She would love to kill them, she really would. But she couldn't. She could kill the others, but she couldn't kill her uncle or her father-in-law. Or the man who would have been her father-in-law if Damon hadn't-never mind, no time to think of that now. The most important thing now was her survival. She ran to the attic and locked herself in. She knew that if Doctor Stensrund's body was downstairs in the library, she'd be safe up there._

"What are you thinking of?" Klaus asked her. Selina looked up at him and started. "Nothing special," she said. "Just the night I killed the guy who turned me. It was a full moon, you know. I wasn't in my right mind of course, but I really did enjoy killing him. Doctor Stensrund ruined my life. He deserved everything I gave him." She paused for a moment, then said "I'd like to go home now, please."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "I don't think you do."

"Why not?" Selina asked.

"You _do_ remember what's waiting for us back there?" Klaus asked. "The small matter of a wedding we ran out on? _Many_ angry relatives?"

"I don't see what you're so worried about," Selina said. "We still got married like your mother wanted us to. We just did it better."

Klaus sighed. "You _really_ don't understand my mother well, do you?"

Selina laughed. "Hey, you're the one who wanted to elope. If there were dangerous consequences, you should have thought about that before we left. Now let's fire up the boat and head out."

"No," Klaus said firmly. "We're not leaving.

Suddenly an idea popped into Selina's head. She rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. "So we aren't leaving because you're afraid of your mother. I get that."

Klaus frowned. "I am _not_ afraid of my mother!"

Selina grinned. "Oh, I think you are. But that doesn't matter. I don't like you any less."

"How kind of you," Klaus said dryly. "Now, as long as we're here..." he sat down beside her on the bed and kissed her deeply, massaging her all over with his hands. She moaned and leaned back so that with a slight shift, he was on top of her. As he pulled away from the first kiss, she said, "Wait! I can't do it in here. I'd be much more comfortable in the house."

Klaus groaned. "Seriously, darling? But we were so close to..."

"Let's go to the house," she said firmly.

Sighing, he got off her and, taking her by the hand, led her back into the house where they resumed lovemaking until far into the evening.

* * *

><p>Once she was sure Klaus was asleep, Selina got out of the bed and left the house, sneaking out to the boat and putting the fisherman's net back around her to cover herself up. Then, she went and saw the captain, who was asleep at the wheel. "Drive," she said. "We need to go now."<p>

"What?" He asked. His voice was fuzzy.

"Wake up and get behind the wheel so we can get back to Mystic Falls or I'm comandeering this boat and driving us there myself!" Selina snapped. He quickly did as she asked and as the crew worked on getting the boat started up, Selina looked around for any clothes that might not have been burned upon arrival. She groaned when she realized all that was left was her wedding dress. "Damn," she said to herself, holding it up. "You'd think I would have burned_ this_ first off." Rolling her eyes, she dressed as fast as she could. Then, the engines started and the boat began to pull away from shore. Selina hoped Klaus wouldn't be too mad at her, but she had to do what she had to do. She grabbed her phone out of her purse and dialed. When Damon picked up, she said, "I'm coming home. Will you be there waiting for me?"


	21. Broken

"Are you okay?" Alaric asked as Damon slowly took the phone away from his ear.

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "Selina says she's coming home."

"Oh," Alaric nodded. "So she finished her undercover work?"

Damon shook his head. "Probably not. But I don't really care." He stood up and put his jacket on. "I'm going down to the pier."

"Why?" Alaric asked.

"Because," Damon said, "apparently, she made a getaway on a boat. And she also says that it won't be difficult to find her. Of course it won't. I mean if she's coming back in a yacht she commandeered, there can't be too many of those, can there?"

"No," Alaric shook his head. "Can I come too?"

Damon nodded. "Sure, why not?"

They left the apartment and headed down to Damon's car. "I've got a question for you," Alaric said. "How long have you and Selina been together?"

"That depends," Damon asked as he started the car. "Do you mean literally, or technically?"

"What's the difference?"

"Well," Damon said as he pulled out and turned onto the street, "our mothers were friends way back when, so I've basically been around Selina since she was born."

Alaric nodded. "So she's like your sister."

"Kind of," Damon agreed. "I think she was sixteen when I decided I was going to marry her."

"And were your parents happy about that?"

"Of course," Damon nodded. "Selina was probably the only company I kept growing up that Father actually approved of. Although I do admit, probably precisely because of that, that I _did _corrupt her in little ways. Gave her her first bottle of whisky at fourteen for starters. It was after a particularly bad day. She looked so sad."

Alaric's lip quirked. "What a prince."

Damon grinned. "I do my best." He put the radio on and they drove the rest of the way to the pier in silence.

* * *

><p>He spotted the yacht right away. He parked the car in the sand and threw the door open. But when he saw Selina running toward him, he burst out laughing. "Where in the world did you get that dress?" He asked.<p>

Selina punched him in the shoulder. "Don't laugh. This was all I had left to wear because everything else got burned when we reached the island." She paused, noticing Alaric coming up from the car. "Hey, Ric," she called.

"Hey," he said. "Why would you burn all your clothes?"

"Oh," Selina flushed a little. "Because they didn't believe in clothes there. The people on the island were very...comfortable with themselves."

"So this is all you have left?" Alaric asked, indicating the dress. "A little much for every day wear, isn't it?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Of course it is. I'm going to trash it the second we get back. I didn't even want it anyway. Klaus' _mother _picked it out and even _he _thought it was ridiculous."

Damon nodded. "Well, I can't blame him. Compared to you running around on a beach without any clothes, _any _item of clothing would seem ridiculous."

Selina took his hand. "You aren't mad, are you? Please tell me you aren't mad."

"No," Damon shook his head. "Why should I be mad about you running off to a tropical island full of nudists so that you and Klaus could live happily ever after?"

"The muscles in your neck are tensing," Selina said. "Just admit you're angry."

"I'll be fine," Damon said, his voice tightly controlled. "Just as long as Klaus was the only one you slept with."

Selina lowered her eyes. "Not quite."

Damon turned around fast and put his hand under her chin to bring her eyes up. "Okay, what are you saying? You slept with other guys besides Klaus? How many?"

Selina shut her eyes. "Every guy on the island."

Damon's eyes widened.

"Or so I was told," Selina said quickly. "I believe I was either too drunk or too high to actually remember doing anything. When I came to from the bender, I was naked on the beach between these two guys and apparently..."

"Oh, stop talking," Damon snapped.

She shut her mouth, stumbling along in silence behind him until he finally tore off most of the skirt so it hung raggedly over her knees. "There," he said. "Now you'll be able to walk like a normal person."

"Thanks," Selina said quietly.

He nodded and threw the rest in the trunk of his car. Selina sat in the back while Damon and Alaric sat in the front seats. The ride back to the boardinghouse was uncomfortable. Selina didn't know what to say. On the one hand, she wanted to reassure him that what had happened between her and Klaus on the island didn't really mean anything. That it was purely the result of way too much of whatever was in the island specialty. On the other, she didn't know if that really _was _the case. If there was a part of her deep, _deep _down that genuinely felt something for Klaus. And if _that_ was the case, it would be best for her not to say anything at all.

Suddenly the radio, which had been playing Wham! before, changed songs. Madonna's voice began singing to the beat of spanish guitar. _"Last night, I dreamt of San Pedro_..." Selina shut her eyes. She felt herself begin to relax. As she listened to the words, she found herself back on the island, warm white sand under her feet, the warm breeze caressing her hair, Klaus caressing her, his lithely muscled, naked body pressed up against hers as he planted soft kisses down her torso...

She screamed and opened her eyes. Grabbing an umbrella that had been lying under the front seat, she began hitting the radio repeatedly, screaming "Make it stop, make it stop!"

Alaric grabbed her by the wrist and snatched the umbrella out of her hand. "Are you okay? What the hell is the matter with you?"

Selina burst into tears. "I don't know! I just...I can't listen to that song!"

"We could change it for you," he said. Damon drove onto the shoulder and stopped while Alaric climbed into the backseat and put his arms around her. She was shaking pretty badly. "Can we just keep the radio off?" She asked.

"Yeah," Alaric nodded. "Of course." After that, she quieted and he went and sat up in the front again.

* * *

><p>When they reached the boardinghouse, Damon led Selina inside. "Wow," she said. "It's really quiet in here, isn't it?"<p>

Damon nodded. "Yeah, it is without the other two. They come back sometimes, but not often. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, at least for now, until I can figure out how to fix what's been done to Stefan. But while i'm figuring that out, it's probably best that he stay away."

Selina put a hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be okay. This is really all my fault, you know."

He eyed her curiously. "How is it your fault?"

"Well," Selina said, "I was the one who brought Stefan to Klaus. It was on one of my nightly moon benders. I wasn't aware of what I was doing, but that doesn't really excuse anything, now does it?" Warily, she sat down on the sofa.

"Need a drink?" He asked her.

"Yeah, sure." Selina shrugged. "Why not?"

He poured her a bourbon and she downed it in one gulp, holding out her glass. "More, please."

Damon held the bottle to his chest. "You want to take that dress off before you have too much more?"

Selina looked down at it. "You know, you're right." She stood up and went to her room where she removed the dress, wadded it up, and threw it out the window before changing into jeans and a light blue blouse.

"All right," she said when she came back. "More bourbon please."

He poured her another glass. "How much are you planning on having?"

She downed her second glass. "A lot."

He nodded. "I figured as much. What's got you so riled up, anyway?"

She laughed. "I think I may need another drink or two before I tell you _that_."

Grinning, he poured her another one. "So," he said again. "What's got you so worked up?"

She began laughing. "It's _really _funny," she told him. "You're going to laugh when you hear it."

"I like laughing," he said.

"Well," Selina got out, "The thing-the thing is-the thing is, I _think _I might have feelings for Klaus." She burst out laughing. "Isn't that just the funniest thing you ever heard?"

"Yeah," Damon said quietly. "It's hilarious." He stalked off toward his room, taking the bottle of bourbon with him.

* * *

><p>She knew she'd said the wrong thing. That night, she tried to get in to his room and explain that what she'd said had just been some drunken ranting and that she hadn't actually meant it, but he didn't believe a word of it. "Why'd you leave the damn island anyway if your whole reason for living is back there?" He shouted through the closed door.<p>

"He's _not _my reason for living," Selina shouted back. "Don't even _say _that! The idea's horrific!"

"Well _you're _the one who said you had feelings for him," Damon shouted back. "It's not like I just came up with the idea out of nowhere!"

"Look," Selina said. "I don't want to fight with you. I just want to let you know that I'm sorry for what I said!"

"Sure you are," Damon said. "Just go away!"

Selina frowned. "You know what? You're _really _stupid, you know that? A smart guy would give me a chance to explain myself!"

"Well," Damon yelled back, "If I'm such an idiot, then why would you want to be with me anyway?"

Selina threw up her hands. "You know what? Fine. You stay here by yourself, and _I'll_ leave. It'll save us both a lot of trouble."

"Fine," Damon said. "Have a nice life."

Selina gave the door one last hard smack and stalked off to her room, tears falling down her cheeks as she threw clothing into suitcases. There was only one thing left for her to do now.

* * *

><p>She drove up to the house and let the engine go idle. She stared at it and took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was doing this. She really couldn't. But honestly, what other option did she have? Suddenly, the notes of "La Isla Bonita" began to play in her head. Groaning, she got out of the car, slammed the door and leaned against it, breathing deeply to calm herself. She was doing the right thing. Everything was going to be all right. When she'd finally managed to calm herself down, she snatched her suitcases out of the trunk and strode up to the front door, dropping the suitcases at her sides on the top step and giving the door three sharp raps.<p>

A moment later, someone came and answered it. When he saw her, he started. "What are _you_ doing here, Selina?"

Selina smiled and picked up her bags. "Hello, Elijah. I thought I'd just come by for a visit. I hope that's all right? Good. Aleksandr wouldn't happen to be around, would he? I'd like to speak with him." She strode in the house.

Elijah's lip quirked. "All right," he said. "What have you done now? You've done something."

Selina shook her head. "No I haven't," she said quickly. "Can't a friend just visit another friend without there being ulterior motives involved?"

"Usually yes," Elijah nodded. "Unless one friend happens to be the _ex-husband_ of the other friend. Then one has no choice _but _to suspect ulterior motives."

"Fine," Selina said. "Damon and I have broken up. That's why I'm here."

"Is that all?" Elijah asked.

"_Yes_," Selina said. "My God, what _are _you? A cop? Geez!"

Elijah opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by someone coming up behind him. "Elijah, who was at the door?"

Elijah turned. "Hello, Aleksandr. Would you believe that Selina just stopped by?"

Aleksandr's eyes widened when he saw her. "I can see that. And she has suitcases."

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "She believes that you're going to allow her to stay with us. I believe she's up to something."

Selina shook her head. "Don't listen to him. I'm really not. I've just had a really bad day and I-I need..." She put the suitcases down and strode forward, throwing her arms around Aleksandr's neck and kissing him deeply. His arms went around her, but to cut off the kiss and push her away. "No," he said. "You've done this to me before. I won't be suckered in again. Go back to your husband, or Niklaus, or whoever you happen to be with at the moment, and leave me alone!"

Selina sighed. "All right. I guess I deserve that. But I can't go back to Damon. We've called it quits. For _real _this time. And Klaus...well, he's the reason we called it quits."

Aleksandr nodded. "Exactly. So I don't know _what_ you're here pestering me for."

"Because," Selina said sharply, "What Klaus and I have is wrong and despicable. It disgusts me and I hate it. I've just been so screwed up lately that all I want is a little normalcy. To be among sane people. Is that too much to ask?"

Aleksandr thought a moment. "Fine," he said at last. "But you're sleeping on the couch."

Selina nodded. "Thank you," she told him.

* * *

><p>Alistair looked up as Klaus came in the house and slammed the front door shut. "You're back," he said. "And Selina's not with you. Honeymoon over?"<p>

"She left," he snapped. "And took the boat."

Alistair frowned. "Then how did you get here?"

"The plane," Klaus said, taking off his coat and hanging it up on the coat rack by the door. "Good thing I didn't tell her about that."

"And I see you got a new wardrobe," Alistair observed. "I like that jacket. Leather works for you."

Klaus rolled his eyes and sat down on the sofa. "Just get me some scotch, will you?"

"So," Alistair said when he handed Klaus the full glass. "What did you do to drive her away _this_ time?"

"Nothing," Klaus said. "I was even monogamous for her. Dozens of pretty, willing, delicious island girls and I just let them all go for a bitch who left me in the dirt!"

"Well," Alistair said, "that's unexpected."

"I _know_," Klaus said. "I was an idiot, wasn't I? I forwent the most fundamental thing I've learned over the years: that I have to take control."

"So you've learned your lesson with Selina and are moving on to someone else?" Alistair said hopefully.

Klaus frowned. "No, you idiot. I'm going to teach her a thing or two. Make her sorry, make her beg. Make her _mine."_


	22. Sticks and Stones

"Hey," a gentle nudge roused Selina from sleep the next morning. "How'd you sleep last night?" She opened one eye. Aleksandr was standing over her holding a cup of coffee. Groaning, she slowly sat up and worked the kinks out of her back. "It was okay, I guess. It would have been better if I wasn't sleeping on a couch."

He grinned and sat down. "I'm sorry," he said, handing her the cup. "But you surprised me."

She took a sip. "That's not the _whole_ problem, is it?"

He shook his head. "Not really. There were just some things..."

Selina nodded. "Yeah, I know. I wasn't exactly the nicest person in the world, using you as a rebound guy when you really deserved more than that. And here I am doing it again. You were right to make me sleep on the couch."

He winced as her back cracked. "Still having back trouble, I see."

She nodded. "Yeah, just a little."

"I could fix it for you," he said.

She ran her tongue over her lips. "Yeah," she nodded. "All right. Give it your best shot." She lay down on her stomach and he began kneading her back. "That feels nice," she said.

He grinned. "Nice to see I've still got the touch."

She inclined her head. "Yeah, you sure do."

"This may seem a bit indelicate after yesterday," he said, "but are things with you and that husband of yours over?"

Selina nodded. "Yeah, I think so. We were shouting at each other through a closed door before I left."

He sighed. "I'm sorry." He took his hands off her back. "That should be good for now. See if you can move."

She did a few torso twists and everything sounded okay. "Looks to me like everything's all right," she said.

"So," Aleksandr looked at her. "What are you thinking of doing today?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. But watching out for Klaus is definitely on the list. See, the whole reason we left the wedding that your mother planned was because it wasn't what we wanted, so we left and ended up at this island, and apparently the high priest there married us, but I don't remember any of it because I was too hammered or drugged, or whatever, so-"

"You and Niklaus are married?"

Selina nodded. "In a manner of speaking, I suppose we are. But I don't know if it really counts because it was on some island and there's no legal record of it or anything, unlike when you and I got married. Anyway, I got bored after awhile. I wanted normal people to talk to rather than fawning acolytes. So, one day I took the boat and I left. He wasn't able to come after me, but I bet he's here by now is going to try some way to get me to come back with him."

Aleksandr frowned. "To the island?"

Selina shook her head. "No, just in general. And I don't want to do that. Because it's sick and twisted and wrong. Pleasant, I grant you, but also sick, twisted and wrong."

He took her hand. "It'll be all right. We'll watch out for you. You know, we showed up at your wedding, Father, Elijah and I did. We were going to take you away."

"You were?" She asked. "It's a pity then that I wasn't there. It completely wrecked your chance to be a hero!"

He sighed. "I admit that that _was_ a bit of a disappointment, but I got over it."

"So who freed your father?" Selina asked. "You, Elijah, or Paul?"

"I did," he said. "Sorry about that."

Selina shrugged. "It's okay, you know. I'm just so confused about this whole war thing your parents have going. I don't know what side I'm even supposed to _be _on because you know, I have the werewolf heritage and all, but being with the vampires seems safer and saner and-" she broke off.

"I know what you mean," he said. "It'll all work out in the end, I promise."

She nodded. "Thanks." She cleared her throat. "I should probably dress and go out to greet the world now. Thanks for the coffee."

He nodded. "You're welcome. If you're going out, would you like me to come with you?"

Selina knew what he meant. "No," she said. "I'll take my chances. I'll be all right, I think."

Aleksandr nodded. "Just remember that we're here for you."

Selina nodded and then went to shower and dress.

* * *

><p>She decided to run errands that day, since all her bathroom stuff was back at the boardinghouse and she hadn't thought to pack any of it when she'd left last night. She went to the store and filled her cart with shampoo and soap and stuff, then she paid for her purchases and left. She dropped the bags off at the house and then decided she needed to buy one more thing: a new dress. It'd been awhile since she'd let herself splurge on something pretty, and she figured that renewing her aquaintenance with Aleksandr was as good a reason as any to plunk down the money.<p>

She got in her car and headed to Rothschild's, a department store she usually found much too pretentious, but they had the sort of thing she was looking for. She drove her car up to the front of the store and parked near the curb, heading inside. She headed back to the petite section and began looking through the rainbow of dresses. She finally found an off the shoulder green dress that stopped just below the knees. She was just about to take it off the rack and take it to the register to be rang up when she heard a voice at her shoulder.

"Don't get that one. There's a strapless black lace number that would look much better on you. It'll give me much better access."

She froze, blinking. Then she turned. "Oh, it's you," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "What makes you think I'm getting this dress to wear for _you_?"

Klaus grinned and put an arm around her shoulder. "Well, who else would you be wearing it for?"

"Oh," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Any number of guys." She shrugged his arm off and began walking toward the register. He put a hand in the center of her back and began pushing her toward the rack where the black lace dress hung. "What are you _doing_?" she asked.

"Nothing much," he said. "Just showing you what a great opportunity you're missing. See?" He pulled the dress off the rack and held it in front of her. "_Much_ better."

She shook her head. "Not really. I like a bit of color. Just because I _am_ a vampire doesn't mean I need to look like one."

"All right then," Klaus said. "I think I saw the same dress in dark red...ah, here it is!"

She had to admit that it _did_ look much better. She bought the dress and then the two of them left the store together.

"So," Klaus continued. "Now that you're going to be properly attired, what do you say to coming over to my house this evening? I got a new bottle of wine, there's a meteor shower tonight, what do you say?"

"Seriously?" Selina asked. "You still want to do stuff with me even after I-"

"I understand why you did that," he said, cutting her off. "Mindless adoration's not for everyone."

She looked at him uncertainly. He _seemed _to be being honest, but she still wasn't sure. "I don't know," she said.

By that time, they'd reached her car. He leaned her against the hood and kissed her deeply. "Would ten be all right?" She asked when he pulled away.

He grinned. "Of course," he said. "I'll see you then."

* * *

><p>She arrived back at the house and slammed the door behind her. "I just did something bad," she said. "If anyone cares."<p>

"What happened?" Aleksandr asked. "What have you done?"

"I was just doing errands and I ran into your brother and he conned me into going on a date with him! I'm supposed to meet him to see the meteor shower tonight. But I can't go with him. He's like poison to me."

"All right," Aleksandr said. "Relax. I'll come and see it with you. If I'm there, nothing will happen, right?"

"That's true," Selina said. "I like you much better than I like him. Thanks a lot."

He nodded and took her hand. "You're welcome."

* * *

><p>That night, she and Aleksandr headed for Doctor Stensrund's. When they reached it, they parked the car on the street and headed toward the house. "Do you want me with you?" Aleksandr asked her, "or do you want me to stay hidden until something bad happens and then jump out to the rescue?"<p>

"Stay with me," she said quickly. "I don't know what I'm going to do if you leave me alone. I could end up in bed with him!"

Aleksandr sighed. "Relax, my beautiful darling," he said. "I won't leave you."

She hugged him. "Thanks."

They went inside and took their coats off at the door. "Hello?" Selina called. "Anybody home?"

"Yes," Klaus called back. "Coming."

He came into the hallway and breathed in sharply. "You're wearing the dress. You look beautiful."

Selina nodded. "Thank you. I thought you'd like it."

He grinned. "Stay right here. I'll go get the wine."

"All right," Selina said. "I'll be waiting for you."

Once he was gone, Aleksandr emerged from the closet where he'd been hiding. "What in the world is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?" Selina asked.

Aleksandr began gesturing wildly at her. "Did he really pick out this dress for you?"

"No," Selina said. She paused. "Well sort of. He wanted me to wear the same one in black and then I said I liked red better and-"

"What has he _done_ to you?" Aleksandr cut her off savagely. "You're certainly not acting like the woman I married. Why are you being like this?"

Selina smirked. "It's a small price to pay to be the recepient of his...talents."

Aleksandr brought his hand to his forehead. "Oh, I don't believe this! It's too much, honestly. Why can't you just-"

"Shut up!" She cut him off. "Get back in the closet, because he's coming and he's not going to be happy if he sees you."

"Well I don't care," Aleksandr said, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her deeply.

Suddenly, he groaned, his body falling hard against hers, knocking them both to the floor. When she got her wind back, she screamed. Aleksandr had one of the white ash daggers embedded in his back and he was stiff and unmoving. Then, he was pulled off her. She took another deep breath and found herself looking up at Klaus' cold, angry eyes. He pulled her up with so much force that her shoulder was dislocated. She winced. He put his arms around her and whispered in her ear "I thought we were going to have a nice evening. But now there's really no chance of _that_, is there?"

Tears were running down her cheeks. "My shoulder," she gasped. "My shoulder..."

"Oh, you poor thing," he said, but his voice lacked all traces of sympathy. "Let me help you with the pain." With ease, he dislocated her other shoulder, carried her into the bedroom and threw her down on the bed. She was _really_ crying now.

"Stop," she said. "Just stop. Why are you _doing_ this to me?"

He strode purposefully toward the bed and ripped off her dress, capturing her mouth in his. With a single thrust, he slammed her head against the headboard, and while she was dazed, he broke one arm and then the other.

She was screaming now. _Really_ screaming. "It hurts! Oh, God it hurts. Just stake me now. Anything to make it stop hurting."

He kissed her again, more gently this time. "I have to do this, you see. I have to teach you a lesson," he told her. "You _left _me on the island. Nobody leaves me. And after I'm done with you tonight, you never will."

Selina shut her eyes, willing the pain to go away. Hopefully she'd faint in a few minutes and then it would all be over.

And in a few minutes. it was. He snapped both her legs and hit her over the head. She blacked out and he carried her broken body down a flight of stairs and threw it in hard on the basement floor. Then he went upstairs, poured himself a glass of wine and watched the meteor shower.

* * *

><p>Alistair was awakened early the next morning by what sounded like crying coming from the basement. He got up out of bed and carefully navigated the dark hallways until he reached the basement stairs. He turned on the lights and walked slowly down the stairs and immediately came upon the source of the tears. It was Selina, her limbs bent at grotesque angles, and sobbing heavily. She wasn't wearing any clothes. "What in the world happened to you?" He whispered.<p>

"It was Klaus," she whispered, coughing. "He did this to me. Everything's broken. I can't move."

"Hold on just a minute," he said. "We can fix this." He ran upstairs and grabbed one of his spellbooks. He located a healing spell and slowly but surely mended her. "You'll be all right now," he said. He handed her a blanket and she wrapped it around herself. "Could I have some ice for my head?" She asked.

"Sure," he said. He brought her the ice and she put it on her head.

"Better?" Alistair asked.

Selina nodded. "At least I'm in one piece now. Thank you, Alistair."

He nodded. "You're welcome. Would you like some help getting upstairs?"

Selina smiled. "Thanks. I would love some help getting upstairs."

* * *

><p>"Now what happened?" Alistair asked. "What would make Klaus so mad he'd want to do this to you?"<p>

"He was upset that I left him at the island," Selina shrugged. "And he might have caught me kissing his brother Aleksandr. That too."

"What was Aleksandr doing here?"

Selina sighed. "It was a horrible idea to bring him, I know, but I thought that if he was here, then I might not do something stupid like sleep with Klaus, you know? That's not something I'm proud of. But instead, I just made everything worse."

"Maybe for now," Alistair told her. "But things might look different tomorrow. Here, you go take the guest bedroom and I'll nick one of Klaus' shirts for you to sleep in. Would that suit you?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Klaus woke up and and took a deep breath. He would have to go downstairs and check on Selina later today. Hopefully she was still as broken and pathetic as she'd been last night. He got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. He reached for the handle, but to his surprise, the door opened and Selina stepped out. She was wet, as if she'd just finished taking a shower and neglected to dry off. She wore one of his t shirts, which was barely long enough to cover her. It was soaked as well, hugging closely to her every curve...<p>

"Hey!" She snapped her fingers, bringing his head up so they were eye to eye. "See anything you like?"

"As a matter of fact," he said, "I see _everything_ I like." He put his arms around her and began running them down her back to cup her bottom, but with surprising strength, she pushed him into the wall. "Sticks and stones may break my bones," she whispered. "But you can _never_ hurt me."


	23. She Blinded Me With Science

Instead of looking afraid or even angry, he just laughed. "So you want to play rough? All right. I'll get us some wine and get the chains set up in the attic."

Selina shook her head. "No, what I'm saying is, I don't want to play _at all._ What you did last night was horrible. It was humiliating, it was painful. But one good thing _did_ come out of it. I'm not attracted to you anymore. You can do anything you want and it won't have any effect on me."

He laughed harder. "Don't be ridiculous," he said. "Of course it'll have an effect on you. It always has, and it always will." He nudged her aside so he could get into the bathroom. Once he was inside, she followed him and shut the door behind her. "Oh, yes?" She said. "Wanna bet?" She peeled off the shirt and stood naked in front of him. "Give it your best shot."

His lip quirked as his gaze roamed over her body. "All right," he said. He put his arms around her and kissed her deeply and began running his hands down her back and over her bottom and to his surprise, she didn't kiss back. For the first time, he felt _nothing_ coming from her. She didn't throw her arms around his neck or push up his shirt to run her hands over his ab muscles. She just stood in the circle of his arms, stiff as a board. When he pulled away, she had a glimmer of triumph in her eyes. "See?" she said. "I feel nothing. I've known human boys who were better kissers than _you_."

Fury sparked in his eyes. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Are you angry? Would you like to hit me? Go ahead. I don't care."

He stared at her. "No," he said. "I won't."

Selina rolled her eyes and grinned. "Come on. You know you want to."

He shook his head. "No. I won't. Because you _want _me to. So I won't."

A grin slowly spread over her face. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," he said. "But I'll think of something." He turned to leave the bathroom. "Wait a minute," she said when he had his hand on the knob. "Come back here."

He turned. "Yes?"

She strode toward him and removed his hand from the door. Then, she put it on her breast and the other on her waist. Then she put on hand behind his head and the other around his waist. Then, she kissed him, running her fingers through his hair. She forced him against the bathroom sink and ran her hands over his length. He groaned and nipped her bottom lip.

Slowly, she opened her mouth and kissed him again, her tongue brushing the roof of his mouth and then mingling with his tongue. Then, she pulled away, just as he was preparing to enter her. She grinned. "Not tonight, honey. I'm busy." She then put a towel around herself and left the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

He stared open-mouthed at the door for a moment, then hit it hard enough to leave a dent. What the hell had just happened? The day after he'd made a solemn vow to stay in control of his and Selina's relationship, to be the one who was being chased then being the one who was doing the chasing, she pulls something like _this_?

He sat down on the edge of the bathtub and tried to contol his breathing. He gripped the edge of the tub and tried to think of something that would help him relax: death, torture, murder, the sight of selina's soft, supple, naked body...

He growled and drove his fist into the wall, making a large hole.

The door burst open and Klaus quickly put a towel over himself when he realized that Alistair was staring at him. "What's going on in here?" Alistair asked, his eyes traveling to the hole in the wall. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Klaus scowled. "Of course not!"

"Are you sure?" Alistair asked. "There's a hole in the wall and when I saw Selina, she had this really smug look on her face."

Klaus scowled. "That bitch! That manipulative, twisted, beautiful, supple bitch!"

Alistair grinned. "She got the better of you, didn't she?" he asked. "And you hated it, so you're angry."

"No," Klaus said through his teeth. "I _liked_ it, damn it! That's why I'm angry!"

"_Really?" _Alistair said. "What happened?"

Klaus frowned. "None of your damn business. That's what happened!"

Alistair sighed. "You're right, of course. Why don't you go kill someone? That might help."

Klaus stood up. "You know, you're right. Then, when I see Selina this evening, I'll make everything go back to normal."

* * *

><p>"Well, well, well," Alistair said, entering the library, "what in the world did you do to Klaus?"<p>

Selina turned slightly on the stepladder she was standing on and peered down at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I think you've wrecked him," Alistair said.

Selina stepped down off the ladder and shook her head. "I did no such thing. I simply told him that the events of last night destroyed any attraction I might have had for him and then proceeded to prove that even though I no longer have feelings for him, he still has feelings for me. Or if not feelings, at the very least that he desires me sexually as I once desired him."

"Did you?" Alistair asked sarcastically. "I had no idea."

"Stop it with the sarcasm," Selina snapped. "It's not attractive. You know, before last night, I hit rock bottom. I actually _admitted_ to Damon, while drunk, that I thought I had feelings for Klaus."

"And you do?" Alistair asked.

Selina shook her head. "My god, no. I was confusing sexual attraction with romantic attraction. They are two different things, but to the doe-eyed romantic, they can be easily confused. Klaus is going though the same thing right now."

"I don't think that will last very long," Alistair said. "You ask him and he's going to deny it."

"_Of course_ he's going to deny it," Selina nodded. "His brain is telling him that as an alpha male, it is his lot in life to be in control in his relationships and to not give in to a mere woman, but his body...heh, _that's _a completely different story. His body _needs _me and apparently doesn't feel the same way about the allure of feminine charms that his, for lack of a better word, brain does."

Alistair nodded. "You seem to have given this a lot of thought."

She nodded. "Of course I have. After last night, it's war between him and me, and you can't go into war without having a battle plan."

"I agree," Alistair nodded. "So what's the battle plan?"

Selina grinned and shook her head. "You'll see."

Alistair left the library, shaking his head and wondering what the hell had happened to her.

* * *

><p>No one seemed to be around when Klaus arrived home that night. "Alistair?" he called. "Selina, where are you? Dearest One, we need to talk."<p>

"We certainly do," she said, striding toward him. She was wearing a tight lilac blouse and a little black skirt that made her legs look really long. "I've decided that just because my love goggles have come off and I've seen the light, that doesn't mean we can't have sex."

"What?" Klaus asked.

"Sexual arousal, at least for men," she said, smirking a little, "is automatic. All you have to have is the merest _idea_ of something sexual and you're good to go."

He shook his head. "I think it takes more than _that_," he said.

"Really?" Selina asked. "Did you know I'm not wearing anything under this blouse?"

"Yes, you are," he said immediately as she strode purposefully toward him.

"No, I'm not." Her voice had become breathy. "You want proof?" She pulled her hair out of its bun and slowly began undoing the buttons of the blouse, one by one. Before she was even halfway done, he pulled her into his arms and ripped off her blouse, discovering that she really _had _been telling the truth: there wasn't anything underneath it.

She threw her arms around his neck and began nibbling on his ear. He picked her up and carried her to the sofa. He put her down on it and stared down at her. She was breathing heavily. "You're not going to stop now, are you? Why don't you just...let...go." She said the last three words slowly, grabbing him by the waist of his pants and undoing the belt, causing his pants to fall to his knees and his penis to spring free. She pulled them down the rest of the way and threw them on the floor, pulling his mouth to meet hers. His hands crept under her skirt and slowly worked her panties down her legs and they jointed his pants on the floor.

"I hate you," he breathed. "Damn, it you bitch, I really, _really_ hate you!" he said as he blazed a trail of kisses down her stomach. She squirmed underneath him. "No," she laughed. "You don't hate me. You hate that you love me. Or at least love this."

* * *

><p>Alistair came home to find Selina and Klaus on the sofa, on top of each other, fast asleep and wrapped in a blanket. "I knew it," he said to himself. "I knew that if I just left them alone together, they'd either learn to get along or kill each other." He sat down at the kitchen table and waited. When the clock struck the hour, he heard sound coming from the living room. He got up from the kitchen table and went back to the living room. Selina and Klaus were both awake now.<p>

"So," Alistair said, "looks to me like you two had quite the evening. It's a good thing I have exactly what we need to wash off the sofa."

He expected Klaus to make some offhanded remark about how Selina had given in to him like he usually did, but Klaus said nothing. He sat there, the blanket over his lap, looking as if he'd gotten the wind knocked out of him.

"Is everything okay?" Alistair asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "We're fine." She picked up her skirt and panties and put them on under the blanket and then let it fall from her body as she stood up. "My blouse is in the hallway," she explained, and then walked off to grab it, coming back into the living room to do up the buttons.

"Would you like some help?" Alistair asked, then breathed in sharply. Where had _that_ come from?

Selina grinned. "That's sweet, but no thank you. I believe I can handle this myself."

Alistair nodded and looked away from her. He could feel himself start to blush.

They all sat in silence a moment and then Klaus looked up at Selina. "Have you fed yet today?"

She shook her head. "Why? Are you asking me to come with you?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. So, what's your answer? Yes or no?"

Selina shook her head. "No, I haven't fed today."

Klaus nodded. "Good, because I know the most delightful little spot that's full of the most _delicious _people. Writers, poets, scholars..."

"Oooooh!" Selina grinned. "Intellectuals. I like."

Klaus nodded. "Good. Just let me get dressed and then we'll go."

"Sounds great," Selina nodded. "I'll meet you in the car."

"Actually," Klaus told her, I was thinking we might walk. The moon is lovely tonight."

Selina nodded and headed outside to wait for him. Klaus looked at Alistair. "You wouldn't mind handing me my pants, would you?"

Alistair looked at him, and, feeling stunned, handed him his pants, being sure to grab them by the leg.

"Wow," he said when Klaus and Selina were gone, "I guess Sartre was wrong. Hell isn't_ always_ other people."


	24. Ten Things

"So," Selina said as they walked away from the house, "beautiful night, isn't it?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes, I suppose it is. He reached around her waist and began trailing his hand down toward her butt. She grabbed his wrist. "You keep your hands where I can see them." She held one of hers out to him. He stared at it.

"Come on," she said. "It's not going to bite you."

He grinned. "Would _you_ if I asked nicely?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "We aren't going to think about that tonight. We're just going to _talk_ to each other. Do you think you can do that?"

"What could we possibly talk about?" Klaus asked.

Selina shrugged. "I dunno. Anything. Likes, dislikes, interests, existence goals..."

Klaus groaned. "Are you serious? Why did we even come out here?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. It was _your_ idea!"

Klaus was staring straight ahead. "You know, there's an out of the way patch of trees over there. What would you say to a little tumble in the moonlight?"

Selina shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "We're grown ups. We can control our animal urges for a couple of hours and have a proper conversation. I'll start: my favorite colors are blue and red. What's yours?" She peered at him inquisitively.

He rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous."

Selina frowned. "How hard is it to say a damn color?"

Klaus sighed. "All right...red."

"Why?"

He groaned. "First you make me tell you a color and then you make me explain why that is?"

"Exactly," Selina nodded. "That's how conversations work: you tell me something and I tell you something."

He grinned at her. "So, when was your first time?"

Selina put her hands on her hips. "That's not what you talk about on a first date!"

Klaus laughed. "Is _that_ what you think this is? This isn't a date. Why would we want to go on a date? That would just wreck everything we've got going for us and do you really want to lose all that?"

"What exactly would you call what we have between us?" Selin asked.

"Sex," Klaus said simply. "Frequent, mindless, wild sex."

"And that's all," Selina said.

"That's enough," Klaus told her. "I think I'm getting a second wind and I see a lovely tree over there..."

He raised an eyebrow.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I_ know _we're capable of keeping our hands off each othe for a couple of hours. We just have to..."

He cut her off as he captured her mouth with his. She resisted at first, but then felt herself relaxing and kissing him back. She moaned and ran her fingers through his hair. He picked her up and carried her over to the tree, leaning her up against it and pushing up her skirt. She pulled out of the kiss, her arms around his neck. "Would you like me to help you?" she asked. She pulled his zipper down and then he picked her up so she was against the tree. He entered her and she squirmed, grabbing him tighter Then suddenly, she pulled away.

"Wait a minute!" she said. "We're out of control! We should be ashamed of ourselves. We're no worse than animals!"

He just laughed. "Don't forget, darling. We _can _be animals...if we want."

She kissed him again. "You know, you're right," she said. "You have a point..."

He ran his hands over her stomach and breasts, rolling his eyes as he looked at her blouse. "This always gets in the way," he said. "Let's try something a little different. What do you say?"

"It depends on what it is," she told him.

He put his arm around her waist. "look up at the sky. What do you see?"

"The moon," Selina said. "Why?"

"Because..." He began to shift before her very eyes. She eventually found herself face to face with Klaus the wolf. He began circling her, low growls coming from his throat. "What?" she asked nervously. "What do you want?" She shivered a little. The air was beginning to get a little nippy. Goosebumps were breaking out all over her arms. She knew that she wasn't _in_ any danger. All she had to do was transform herself. But what would the point be then? The woods were empty. There was no one to chase, so what was the point?

She got down on her knees. "Come here," she whispered. "I have an idea. I have to run back to the house real quick, though." He began sniffing at her breast and she rolled her eyes and pushed him away. "Just a minute." She stood up and began walking out of the woods Then she felt a sharp nudge from behind. She turned around. Klaus the wolf was looking at her. "I'll be back, I promise!" she said and ran back to Doctor Stensrund's. By the time she arrived, she was flushed and breathing hard.

"So," Alistair said when he saw her. "I see the two of you have been busy."

"No," Selina shook her head. "Not yet. But we _will_ be."

She began looking through all of her closets to locate the red velvet cape and hood she'd worn to a costume party fifty years ago. Everyone had told her that she'd made the perfect Red Riding Hood. She finally located it and put it on. Then, she left the house and strolled back to the woods. She arrived at the clearing where Klaus the wolf had been, but she saw no one. She called out for him again, but no one came.

Then, Klaus the wolf stalked out from behind one of the trees. He saw her and came closer. He stopped right in front of her and cocked his head, watching her intently. Her breath quickened. Then, he sprang. She screamed and took off from the clearing. He ran after her, but she kept ahead of him for quite awhile. Finally, it became difficult for her to get a breath. Her muscles began to cramp. She stopped running. Her back was to him. As she turned to face him, he sprang again, landing on top of her and pinning her to the forest floor. He sank his teeth into her shoulder trying to make a tear in her shirt. She reached up and grabbed him by the snout.

"That's not how this works," she chided him. "In the original story, she strips for him."

Slowly, he backed off her, then sat on his haunches, watching expectantly.

She took a deep breath and pushed off the hood of the cloak and untied it, taking it off and throwing it on the forest floor beside her. She continuted like this until all her clothes were in a pile beside her. Klaus the wolf growled and sprang again, sending them both sprawling to the forest floor. The entire weight of his body was on top of hers. Then he shifted and she found herself looking up at Klaus in human form. "Didn't anyone tell you that it's not safe for little girls to be wondering around the woods at night by themselves?" He asked her. "They could run into bad things."

Selina kissed him. "And what if certain little girls happen to _like_ running into bad things?"

He grinned back. "Charming, but that's _not_ your line."

"Oh, right," Selina said. "Oh, Mr. Wolf, what big eyes you have!"

"The better to see you with, my dear."

A naughty grin crossed her face. "I know the rest of it, but I think the lines need to be changed."

He began kissing her neck. "Oh, really?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "May I improvise a little?"

"No, go ahead," He shifted position and she giggled before clearing her throat. "Oh, Mr. Wolf, how _big_ you are!"

He grinned, thrusting. She screamed at her release, sending birds squawking and flying from the trees.

* * *

><p>She sat up on the forest floor, looking around at the trees. "Oh, my god."<p>

"What, love?" Klaus asked.

"Well look at me!" She cried.

"Gladly."

"I'm dirty and gross and this isn't sanitary and..."

Klaus watched her as she climbed to her feet, snatched up her cloak and put it around herself. "You certainly _are_ dirty," he said. "Any other naughty fairytales you know?"

"The original versions of _all_ fairytales are dirty," Selina said. "Dirty or violent." He came to stand behind her and then began fingering the velvet folds of her cloak. "I like this," he said, and then ran the same hand over her cheek. "They're both so soft."

"I hope you enjoyed what we did last night cause it's the last bit you're getting for free," she said.

His eyebrow quirked. "You know what they call women who charge for their services?"

"I don't mean it in _that_ sense," Selina said. "We need to deepen our relationship. It'll be so much better if it's about more than just sex."

"Why?" Klaus asked.

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. It just will be. Until we figure out ten things we have in common, I'm cutting you off. And don't try to distract me, or talk me out of it. I mean it this time."

Klaus grinned. "Of course you do."

"I _do_," she said, hoping she sounded firm.

"Question," Klaus said. "Would it be different if you and I were both...wolves at the time we did it?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "It would matter."

"You know," he said, "You suck the fun out of everything!"

"Well," Selina asked, "Why do you think that the only way we'll have fun is by having sex? There are _other_ ways to have fun."

"Look," Selina said. "This isn't going to be that difficult. I don't think it'll be difficult to find ten things we have in common."

"I'd rather deal with things we_ don't_ have in common, but that compliment each other very nicely," he said.

"And we _will,_" she said. "Just work with me here. I'll make it worth your while."

"All right," he grinned. "It'll be amusing just to see how long you last," he said. "I give it a day, tops."

Selina smiled. "I won't make it hard for you. You told me yesterday that you like red. Well so do I mainly because of roses, and possibly the sight of blood after I almost killed the overseer when I was five."

Klaus' eyes widened. "You almost kiled someone when you were five?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "A five year old werewolf. Scary thought. So, why _do_ you like red?"

He was silent for awhile. "I guess," he said finally, "I guess it's because when I was a boy, during the summer, my mother would always take red flowers from the garden and pin them in her hair. And once, my father ordered a fresco painted on one of the walls of our house. It was a beautiful piece of artwork, done almost entirely in red."

"Wow," Selina said. "Guess what?"

"What?" Klaus asked.

She grinned. "One down, nine to go. I told you this wasn't going to be difficult."


	25. Temptation

When they got back to the house, Selina went to the bedroom and began taking her stuff out of the drawers and putting it in plastic sacks. "All right," Alistair looked at Klaus when she came out with the first sack. "What happened? What did you do now?"

"He didn't do anything," Selina said. "We just decided that from now on, our relationship is going to be about more than just sex, and that for that to happen, we're abstaining until we tell each other ten things about one another. That's why I'm leaving. It would be better for both our concentrations."

Alistair looked at Klaus in amazement. "You _both_ decided this? I find that hard to believe."

Klaus shook his head. "We did _not_ both decide on it! It was all her!"

"You'll be proud of yourself in the end, I promise," Selina said.

"No, I won't. In fact, I'll probably kill people," he said. "Lots and _lots_ of people. And then you watch the news and it'll be on it and all the deaths will be on _your_ head because you've deprived me of my outlet!"

Selina shook her head. "No, I haven't. I never said you had to be celibate. Or even good. You can sleep with whomever you want. It shouldn't be too difficult for you to find somebody." She put the bag over her shoulder. "I should probably go now," she said. "Good night, boys."

"Good night," Alistair called after her. He shut the door and came back, biting his lip on a smile when he saw the look on Klaus' face. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing," Klaus said, glaring at the door. "I think I'll just go and...eat now."

Alistair nodded. "You do that. Have a good time."

Klaus nodded. "All right, I will. Don't expect me back tonight."

Alistair nodded. "No problem. I never do."

* * *

><p>After he left the house, Klaus didn't go to eat. He went to Elijah's. He knocked and he knocked but no one answered the door. Finally, he just broke a window and got inside that way. He went into the kitchen and poured himself a drink, sitting down at the kitchen table. The house was quiet. Maybe there wasn't really anyone here. It didn't matter. He could wait.<p>

About three hours after Klaus' arrival, he heard a key turn, unlocking the front door. "Hello?" he called out. After a few minutes, Elijah appeared in the living room.

"There you are!" Klaus cried. "I've been waiting for hours!"

Elijah frowned. "What is it you want, Niklaus?"

"I just want to talk, that's all. So where _have_ you been?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I happen to have made the acquaintence of a young lady," Elijah said stiffly. "We went out for the evening. Now, why are you here? What was so urgent that you had to break one of my front windows to get in?" He noticed the empty bottle on the table next to him. "Break my front window _and_ finish off my best bottle of brandy?"

"Women," Klaus said. "Stupid, lousy bitchy _women!_"

"What's wrong now?" Elijah smirked. "Did Selina cut you off?"

Klaus swallowed. "Yes, if you must know. She said it would help 'deepen our relationship' if we didn't do anything until after we shared ten personal things with each other."

Elijah nodded. "Sounds healthy to me."

"It would," Klaus nodded. "Of course it would! What has the world come to when _you're _having sex and I'm not?"

Elijah's eyes lit up. "You _do_ realize that there are other women in this world besides Selina," he said. "Why don't you just go sleep with one of them? I'm pretty sure Selina wouldn't make you swear off _all_ women. She knows you have needs."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up! You sound exactly like Alistair!"

Elijah nodded. "Maybe he has a point."

Klaus shook his head. "No he doesn't. Do you have any more brandy?"

Elijah held up the bottle. "Nothing as good as this was."

Klaus stood up. "Well, I suppose if you've got nothing useful to tell me, I'll be going now."

Elijah nodded. He stood up and grabbed the bottle to take into the kitchen. "And while you're going, you might think about how the fact that you're upset about this whole thing is because even though Selina didn't order you to be entirely celibate, she might as well have because deep down you know that no matter how many women you sleep with to compensate for her loss, no one will _ever_ satisfy you as well as she does."

Klaus glared at him. "That's a lie!"

"All right," Elijah said. "Have a nice evening, Niklaus."

Klaus glared at him again, and left, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

><p>He left town and drove into the woods, parking in an area that was near a building that doubled as a sorority house. The lights were on and he snuck out of the woods and peeked in the windows. The girls were having a pillow fight and wearing only their underwear. He stopped, frozed as they jumped up and down, up and down...<p>

He growled and broke the window, stepping inside. The girls screamed. He turned off the lights. The girls took off running. He gave chase, cornering two girls in the bathroom. He drained them both and threw their bodies into the tub. After taking care of all the girls that he'd seen, he began to prowl around the bedrooms. In one of them, he heard giggling. He opened the door and the girl screamed and threw her boyfriend off her. When she caught sight of Klaus, she grinned. "Hey there, handsome. Who are you?"

"Hey!" her boyfriend said.

She frowned. "Stuff it, Jimmy! I'm talking here!" She smiled at Klaus. "Ignore him," she said. "He was just leaving."

"I'm sure he was," Klaus said, striding into the room and breaking Jimmy's neck. He crumpled to the floor.

"Thanks," The girl told him. "I've been wanting to get rid of him for _months_." She got out of the bed and stretched. "Is there anything _I_ can do for _you_?"

Klaus nodded. "Do I even have to tell you?"

The girl shook her head. "Of course not."

As they rolled around the bed, he bit into her. She screamed and began struggling, but he held her fast and drained her, and then finished off the rest of the girls in the house. Afterwards, he left and drove back home. He'd really felt nothing. And he didn't know what to do about it.

* * *

><p>Damon looked up as the front door of the boardinghouse burst open. Selina was standing on the other side, a huge grin on her face. "Hey," he said. "Why are <em>you<em> so happy?"

She kissed him. "Because I'm a genius, that's why!"

"And how exactly are you a genius?"

"Because," Selina said, "I'm breaking him down. Everything I've ever read says you can't change a man, but I'm doing it!"

"All right," Damon nodded. "So why are you _here_? To gloat?"

Selina shook her head. "No. See, the thing is that I've cut Klaus off until in an attempt to deepen our relationship."

"Interesting," Damon said. "You think it'll work?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. I hope so. But the main point is that I'll be sticking around for awhile."

Damon grinned. "I believe that's cause for a little celebration, don't you?" He picked her up and carried her to their bedroom.

"Oh, yes," Selina grinned as she wiggled out of her panties and threw her arms around his neck. "Let's celebrate."

* * *

><p>When he was nearly at the driveway of the house, Klaus decided to change direction. He couldn't stand the sight of the smirk that would undoubtedly be on Alistair's face if he got back early. Instead, he drove to a house at the edge of town, parked his car in the street and headed inside.<p>

"Mother?" He called. "Are you here?"

"Yes, dear," she called. "In my bedroom."

He followed the sound of her voice and found her sitting at her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "I _would_ ask who the fairest of them all is, but that would be a stupid question, wouldn't it?" She turned to him.

"Yes, Mother," he nodded. "You look beautiful."

She nodded. "Thank you dear. "Now what is it you're here for?"

He sat down on her bed. "I need help."

"With what?"

"Could you tell me something about women?" he asked her. "Why do they always feel the need to change us? Why can't they just accept us the way we are?"

"You and Selina are having problems?" She asked. "What has she done?"

"She's decided our relationship's not good enough," he said. "Not deep enough. Personally, I saw no problem with it."

Elissavetta nodded. "That was the good thing about your father. He never asked much of me. But about Selina, I think I could talk some sense into her. Would you like that?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes, I would. Thank you, Mother."

She stood up. "You're welcome, dear. Now you just run along and leave everything to me."

Once he was gone, Elissavetta turned back to the mirror. "It's a shame she's so strong-willed. We could have been such good friends." She opened her drawerer and took out a hair pin, poking her finger with it and staring transfixed as the blood ran down her finger. "I always wanted a daughter with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood and hair as black as ebony. But apparently, that's not to be. Instead, I must protect my son from himself. I have to _kill _her instead. Niklaus will find someone else. He's much too good for her anyway."

She put up her hair and then got up from the table. Walking to the open door, she called out, "Tyler, would you come in here a moment, please?"

He appeared a moment later. "Yes?"

She laughed. Compelling him had been one of her better ideas. "I need you to do something for me," she said. Immediately, he began striping off his clothes. Elissavetta ran her hand down his abs and grinned. "No, not that. Something else. But I wouldn't say no later on."

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

She grabbed a silver dagger from the vanity table and handed it to him, reminding him to take the handle. "It's about Selina," she said. "She's done something terrible. Would you kill her for me?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Elissavetta nodded. "Good. Take that dagger and carve out her heart." She took box from the bedside table. "After you carve out her heart, put it in this box. I want to make absolutely certain that she's dead."

Tyler nodded. "Of course." He took the box and put the dagger inside, then left the house to fulfill Elissavetta's orders.

* * *

><p>He ran into her outside his parents' house. "Hey," he said. "What are <em>you<em> doing here?"

Selina shrugged. "It's been awhile since I've seen Mama and Daddy and I thought I'd check in. We had a nice talk. I was just leaving."

"You don't have to," he told her. "We haven't spent much time together. Let's go somewhere and catch up."

"All right," Selina said. "Why not?"

"What about lunch?" Tyler asked. "Have you eaten yet?"

Selina shook her head. "No."

"Well," Tyler said, "it's a nice day. We could go to that field behind the school and have a picnic. Mom says the wildflowers look really nice."

Selina grinned. "I'd like that."

"All right," Tyler headed inside. "I'll pack something up and be out in a bit."

* * *

><p>Selina was beginning to feel uneasy. The drive to the school was silent, but Tyler kept watching her and running his fingers over a black-lacquered box at his side. Finally, they parked the car and got out. Tyler set the basket down and unpacked it, beginning to eat. Their conversation was stilted and Selina felt there was something he wasn't telling her. When he left to put the picnic basket away, she began wandering around the field. Carol was right, the flowers <em>were<em> pretty. Especially the pink wild roses. She got down on her knees and began picking them.

At that moment, Tyler came back dagger in hand. As he got closer to her, his hand tightened around the handle of the dagger Elissavetta had given him. He reached her and turned her roughy around so that she was facing him. He brandished the dagger. Selina screamed and managed to push him away, then took off running toward the woods. But he wasn't far behind. His eyes were crazed and there were flecks of blood at the corner of his mouth where she'd hit him.

Finally, they reached a clearing. She was breathing hard but she knew she couldn't stop. Then, she heard a deep, low growl nearby. She knew Tyler wasn't able to turn, but then she saw the eyes watching her. Suddenly, seven wolves emerged from the trees and approached them. Selina prepared to fight, but it she knew that even at her best she couldn't beat seven to one, especially with Tyler trying to kill her for whatever reason. So she did what she had vowed since childhood never to do. She fainted, right there on the forest floor.

* * *

><p>When she opened her eyes again, she screamed. Five faces were staring down at her. Male faces. She was lying in a white covered bed in a very sparsely decorated bedroom. Slowly, she sat up. "Who are you all?" She asked. "Where am I?"<p>

"You fainted." One of them said calmly. "We thought it would be best to bring you back with us. We were followed, though. I think the guy's still circling the house. But don't worry; he won't be able to come in. "You'll be safe here. As for us, that's a little difficult to explain."

"Try," Selina said. "I'm not easy to shock, trust me."

"Well," a gentle-looking one began, "We're werewolves. I know that's hard for your human brain to process..."

"Wait," Selina said, "I'm _not_ human."

"Ah-ha!" said another one. "I told you! She's a _vampire_! Let's just kill her."

"If you want to be completely correct," Selina said, "I'm actually a vampire-werewolf hybrid. One of you. Please don't kill me. I've already had enough problems today."

The gentle-looking one got down on his knees next to her bed and took her hand. "I'm Ethan," he said. "Don't mind Toby; He's just having a bad day. He has a lot of them."

"Oh," Selina said. "Well thank you, Ethan."

"You're welcome," he said. "Who was that guy who was chasing you?"

"He was a werewolf too," said a tall, blue eyed guy who was standing on the other side of the room.

"Henry," Ethan gestured at him. "He's a little shy around girls."

"Nice to meet you, Henry," Selina said. He blushed and left the room.

Just then, a sneeze caught her attention. "Hi," said a short, plump red nosed boy. "I'm Jacob." He gestured to the guy next to him, asleep with his head on Jacob's shoulder. "Luke's got narcolepsy. The doctors haven't figured out how to cure it yet."

At that moment, a young man with glasses, wearing chinos and a polo and holding a book very close to his face, entered the room. "Is she up yet?" He asked. "Because in this book, it says that..."

"Roger," Ethan whispered. "He's a genius."

"Wow," Selina said. A little boy followed closely on his heels. "Read me a story, pleeeease!"

"Roger's brother Gregory," Ethan finished.

"But he's so young," Selina said.

"That's a long story," Ethan said. "It's best not to ask. We're outcasts, wolves who were rejected from our packs. We've all found a home here."

"Oh," Selina nodded. "Well, now that you've told me who you are, I suppose I should tell you who I am. My name is Selina Warren. Thanks for rescuing me from my cousin."

Roger looked at her intently. "Does he often try to kill you?"

Selina shook her head. "No, he actually seemed like he was compelled."

"Don't be stupid," Toby snapped. "Werewolves can't be compelled by vampires!"

"They can if the one doing the compelling is one of the first vampires ever made!" Selina said. She gasped. "But why would Klaus' mother want to kill me? Maybe it's because we ran out on the wedding. I don't know."

"He's gone," Luke said. "It seems like your cousin's given up."

"Yeah," Selina sighed. "For now. He'll be back, though."

* * *

><p>Later in the day, after Ethan decided she looked well enough, they let her out of bed. She began to walk around the house. "This place is a mess!" she observed. "Doesn't anyone ever clean?"<p>

"We try," Henry said. "But we're not very good at it."

"Don't worry," Selina said. "I can put this place to rights quick. You all just go about your business."

They left her and she began straightening up the living room, dusting and picking up dishes to put in the sink, whistling to herself all the while.

"Hey," Ethan said, "do you always whistle while you work?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Sorry."

"Oh, no." He said quickly. "It doesn't bother me. I like it!"

"Good," she said. "Now go wash up and tell the others to as well. I'll start dinner in a little while."

* * *

><p>Tyler arrived back at Elissavetta's house and held the box out to her. "Here," he said. She opened it. "There's nothing in here!" she said.<p>

"No," Tyler said. "Selina's my cousin and I'm not going to kill her!"

Elissavetta rolled her eyes. "Damn! If you want something done properly, you have to do it yourself!"

"I don't think so," Tyler said. "Won't she recognize you?"

Elissavetta shook her head. "Not if I make a few little...alterations. And you are going to help me."

"How?" Tyler asked.

"Give me the name of one of Selina's close friends."

"Caroline. My wife."

"Yes, and what does she look like?"

Tyler reached into his pocket and pulled out Caroline's picture. "Here."

Elissavetta looked it over. "Oh, yes! That pretty blonde in your class."

She took the picture down to the dungeon and whipped up a potion. When she was certain that it had worked it's magic, she looked in the mirror and saw the girl in the photo staring back at her.

"Wow," Tyler said when she asked how she looked. "It's amazing!"

"Thank you," Elissavetta grinned. She even had Caroline's voice.

"Now," Elissavetta said, "Where's Selina hiding out?"

* * *

><p>The next morning, Selina woke up and dressed, then went out to meet everyone else.<p>

"What are you going to do today?" Roger asked her.

Selina shrugged. "I've got school. Then I'll be back tonight."

"Just be careful," Toby warned. "That woman tried to have you killed once. She could try again at any time!"

"I'll be careful. I promise," Selina said.

* * *

><p>Morning classes went off without a hitch and at Lunch, Selina sat with Caroline as usual, although there was something weird going on with her.<p>

"Are you all right?" Selina asked.

"Yeah," Caroline said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know, you just seem a little off today, that's all."

"Oh," Caroline cleared her throat and grinned. "Tyler and I went apple-picking yesterday and I put caramel on one of the apples. Want to try it?"

"Sure," Selina said. "I love caramel apples."

Caroline opened the container and pulled out a single slice. "Sorry," she said. "I ate the rest."

"It's okay. Thanks." She took the piece Caroline offered her and bit into it. For a minute, everything seemed okay. Then, she began to feel funny. "I've got to go to the nurse." She stood up, began walking toward the door, stumbled and then fell in a heap on the floor.

"Somebody call an ambulance!" one of the students cried. "I think she may be dead!"


	26. Life Could Be a Dream

"We don't need to call an ambulance," Stefan said. "I know someone who can come and take her home."

"Yes," someone said. "But if she's dead..."

He shook his head. "She's not." He picked her up and took her to the nurse's office and then called Alistair.

"Where is she?" Alistair asked when he arrived. "What happened?"

Elena shrugged. "I don't know. She was eating apples with Caroline and then she just kinda collapsed."

Alistair sighed. "Let me have a look at her."

He followed Stefan to the nurse's office where Selina lay on a cot. "Who are you?" asked the nurse. "What are you doing in here?"

"He specializes in whatever it is that Sophia has," Stefan told her. "He'll need to take her home so he can make her well again."

"Sure, why not?" The nurse was looking dazed. "Go ahead." She left the room and Alistair, Stefan and Elena stayed with Selina's body.

"So what's wrong with her?" Elena asked. "Can you tell?"

Alistair nodded. "It's probably some kind of poison. Magical poison obviously, because regular poison wouldn't have any effect on her."

"But why would Caroline give her a poisoned apple?" Elena asked. "I mean, they _used_ to hate each other, but they were getting along well."

Just then, Elena's phone rang. She picked up. "Hello?"

"Elena," the voice on the other end said, "I'm lost. I don't know who took me and I'm scared."

"Caroline?" Elena said. "What do you mean? You're here at school. You gave Selina some magic poisoned apples."

"No, I didn't," Caroline said. "I've been_ here_ the whole time...wherever here is."

Elena's eyes widened. "I'll have to call you back."

"What?" Alistair asked.

"That was Caroline," Elena said. "Apparently, she's been taken somewhere, so whoever gave Selina the poisoned apple was an imposter."

Alistair nodded. "Elena, go back to the cafeteria and see if you can catch our fake Caroline. And if you've missed her, see if you can find traces of the apple."

Elena nodded. "Okay!"

Alistair looked at Selina. "You're going to be all right, I promise. I'll take you home and we'll figure out what's wrong with you."

* * *

><p>Alistair drove Selina home and, remembering her deal with Klaus, put her in a bed in the attic and magicked the door so no one could get in but him. He looked down at her. He knew how to fix her, but he really wondered if that was the best thing to do. This would be the perfect opportunity to test the extent of Klaus' feelings for Selina. With that decision in mind, he left her be and went back downstairs to work on the Caroline issue while waiting for Klaus to return home.<p>

When the front door opened and Klaus strolled in, Alistair watched him closely. "What?" Klaus asked. "Where's Selina? Oh, that's right. She's gone because of that stupid 'no sex until we find ten things in common' rule."

Alistair cleared his throat. "Actually, she's here right now."

Klaus grinned. "I _knew _she wouldn't be able to stay away!" He ran for their bedroom, but Alistair put a restraining hand on his arm. "That's not why she's here. There was an...incident at her school today. She was poisoned and now she's unconscious."

Klaus' eyes widened. "What?"

Alistair nodded. "It's true. Magical poison. Who knows if she'll ever wake up?"

"Well if it's magical, can't you _do_ something about it?" Klaus asked. "Like magically making her wake up?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid it's not that easy. In situations like this, it's either hit or miss. All we can do is wait and see how things turn out for her."

"Well where is she?" Klaus asked. "I want to see her."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Alistair said. "She said that she didn't want to be with you until you'd found ten things in common and I intend to honor that wish."

"No," Klaus was shaking his head. "If she's _dying, _that's different."

"A little celibacy wouldn't hurt you."

"Yes it would!" Klaus cried. "I have needs!"

"All right," Alistair nodded. "A hundred days. That's just over three months. You can manage that, can't you? After a hundred days, I'll take the spell off the door and you can go in and see her."

"Can I at least go in and say goodbye?" He asked.

Alistair watched him for a moment. "All right," he said. "Come with me." He led Klaus up to the attic where Selina lay prostrate on the bed, her eyes closed. Her skin was pale and chalky and her dark hair fanned out over the pillow."

"Could you leave us alone?" Klaus asked.

Alistair looked at him. "Do you _promise_ you won't do anything bad?" He asked.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I promise."

Nodding, Alistair left the room.

Klaus looked down at Selina's prone form and began running his fingers over her face and body. When they brushed her breasts, she moaned, even in unconsciousness, shifting slightly on the bed. Then, to his surprise, she sat up, her eyes opened and she threw her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply.

His arms went around her and he fell on top of her, pushing off her top and rubbing her stomach, causing her to moan loudly. Then, he began working on getting her pants off. When he kissed her neck, she giggled loudly. Just then, the door opened. "You told me you weren't going to do anything bad!" Alistair cried. "And I come back to this?"

Klaus pulled away. "She's obviously not as sick as you say she is. She started this!"

Alistair looked at him strangely. "Let her go," he said. "Let her fall back on the pillows."

"Why?" Klaus asked.

"I want to check something," Alistair said.

Klaus let Selina go and she fell back onto the pillows, her eyes closing again and her breathing becoming even. "She falls asleep rather quickly, doesn't she?" Klaus asked. "I thought I was better than that. Well actually, I _would_ have been if you hadn't interrupted us!"

Alistair was shaking his head. "She doesn't even know that it happened."

"What?" Klaus asked. He started laughing. "Now you're joking."

Alistair shook his head. "No, I'm not. I think she was asleep the whole time."

"Can that even happen?"

Alistair shrugged. "I have no idea. But I know I'm right." He looked at Klaus. "You haven't by chance seen your mother recently?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes," he said. "I saw her yesterday after Selina made her silly little pronouncement."

"What did you two talk about?"

"Well," Klaus said, "She told me that she was disappointed in Selina's behavior and that she would fix things."

Alistair nodded. "All right. You stay here with her. I'll be back soon."

"Gladly," Klaus nodded. Alistair rolled his eyes and left the attic.

* * *

><p>Alistair had to steel himself to go inside when he reached the house where Klaus' mother had taken up residence. He opened the front door and slowly walked through the house. Then, he finally reached her bedroom and knocked on the door. "Come in," she called. He opened the door, but stayed in the doorway. "Who are you?" she asked.<p>

"I know your son," he said. "I work for him, as a matter of fact. Niklaus, I mean."

"Oh," she said, looking him over disdainfully. "I see. So you're a warlock, then? What do you want?"

He cleared his throat. "I would like you to tell me what you did to Selina. Did you kill her, knock her unconscious? What?"

"Oh," she laughed. "I simply made it so she'd never leave Niklaus again. She's in no danger of dying. I don't know what would give you that idea."

Alistair frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The apple that she ate was full of a creation of my own which puts the person who partakes of it into a deep sleep while at the same time making them particularly demonstrative sexually," Elissavetta said.

"So Selina's not dead. She's just sleeping."

"Exactly," Elissavetta nodded. "I always found the thought of being ravished in my sleep titillating."

"So you made up something that would bring that fantasy into reality?"

"Yes," Elissavetta nodded. "It was quite enjoyable."

"Is there an antidote?" Alistair asked.

Elissavetta shook her head. "No. And even if there _was, _do you honestly think I would tell you?"

"No," Alistair said. "I'll be going now."

"Goodbye," Elissavetta waggled her fingers at him.

He left, breathing deeply all the way home.

* * *

><p><em>"<em>So what do we have?" Klaus asked.

"She accidentally ingested a potion your mother made," Alistair said. "I don't have an antidote because your mother wouldn't give me one, but I'm sure that if I collect either her blood or her saliva, I can get a good enough idea of what's in the potion to make an antidote myself."

"Why do we even _have _to make an antidote?" Klaus asked as Selina sat up again. "This is a cozy enough arrangement, isn't it?"

"Because," Alistair said, "You aren't the only person in her life. I bet there are many other people who will wonder what happened to her if she just stays like this forever." Alistair frowned. "And stop encouraging her. That just makes it worse!

Klaus gave him a sheepish grin and removed his hand.

'Where's your phone?" Alistair asked.

"Why?"

"Because," Alistair said, "given that I have to make the antidote from scratch, it will take time, probably two to three weeks and I can't have you around here distracting me or encouraging her, so I'm going to call Elijah and see if he'll take you in."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"And now you know," Alistair said as he took the phone, "Why I vowed never to have children."

* * *

><p>"Hello, brother," Elijah said as he opened the door and ushered Klaus inside. "Wonderful to see you."<p>

"You're smirking," Klaus said.

Elijah shook his head. "No I'm not."

Klaus nodded. "Yes you are. You know I didn't choose to come. I only came because Alistair brought me."

"I know," Elijah said. "He told me why on the phone."

"I don't understand him, ruining a perfectly good thing by making an antidote." Klaus said.

"I'm surprised you don't want him to," Elijah said.

"Why wouldn't I?" Klaus asked. "The way things are now, I can have Selina any time I want without complicating things."

"But that's not the point of your relationship," Elijah said. "The whole reason why you're drawn to her, as I've explained to you several times, is that she provides a challenge for you. She doesn't just fall at your feet and say 'make love to me' like every other girl and woman you've had over the years. And the only way you're going to get that challenge, that thrill of the hunt, as it were, is if she's conscious again."

"Oh, please," Klaus said."You think you understand me, understand _us_. But you don't. You're just making a bunch of guesses."

Elijah nodded. "Say what you will. But we have three weeks ahead of us with no distractions. You'll want to open up to me sometime."

Klaus just glared at him. "I wish I could die."

* * *

><p>Just before the three weeks ended, Klaus decided to make a break for it. He didn't care if Alistair didn't have Selina's antidote yet. If he had to spend one more evening with Elijah doing jigsaw puzzles and twenty questions, and watching educational documentaries, he would go insane. He managed to sneak out of the house and began running like hell back to his house. When he reached it, he stood there judiciously staring up at the house, thinking of the best way to get up to the attic. Eventually he realized that the best route would begin with him shimmying up the trellis and end with him pitching himself headfirst into the attic window. And he was wearing new pants. He didn't want to get them dirty, he just wanted to get them off. He finally decided just to go to his room and sleep it off. Maybe Selina was sleepwalking too and he'd get lucky.<p>

And he was correct. Shortly after he'd tucked himself into bed and closed his eyes, he heard the squeaky hinge on his bedroom door act up. He sat up as Selina entered the room. Her hair hung loose and she wore a long white lace nightgown with a high neck. She stood at the end of the bed for a moment, staring at him. He was unsure of what to do, but finally decided to let her come to him. Alistair was going to read him the riot act in the morning and he wanted to make absolutely sure nothing was his fault. He got less grief that way. He continued to watch her as she grinned at him and pulled off the nightgown, throwing it in a crumpled heap on the floor. She wasn't wearing anything underneath it. She sauntered to the empty side of the bed and climbed in. But instead of climbing under the covers, she sat on her feet and leaned in to kiss him.

He put his arms around her neck and repostioned her so that she was underneath him. He began to work his way down, planting kisses from her lips to her feet. She moaned, opening herself to him. He entered her with more force than he intended and she began convulsing and crying. He quickly pulled out and held her instead. A minute later, his bedroom door opened again and Alistair stood on the other side. He turned on the light. "What is going on in here?" He saw them and nodded. "Did she come in here?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes, she did. We were playing around and then all of a sudden she just starts convulsing and screaming. Do you have the antidote yet?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded.

Selina was thrashing wildly in his arms now. "Well don't just stand there!" Klaus snapped. "Go and get it!"

Alistair nodded and took off for the basement while Klaus did his best to keep her calm and hold her steady. She was scaring him now, but he wondered if something was scaring _her_. Finally, Alistair returned clutching a syringe of blue liquid. He plunged it into her side and her eyes finally opened. She gasped. "What happened?" Alistair asked.

"It was so horrible," she said. "I kept seeing things. Horrible, _horrible _things. I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't and it just kept getting worse and worse..." She dissolved into tears.

"What did you see?" Klaus asked.

"You," she said, sniffling and wiping her eyes. "Things you've done, the people you've killed..."

"It's not like you've never killed anyone," Klaus said defensively.

"I never said I didn't." She was subdued now. "And anyway, that's not what sent me over the edge." She pushed away from him. "I have to go," she said. "I shouldn't even be here anyway. Remember the deal we made."

"But we thought you were going to _die_," Klaus said. "And when I was holding on to you just now, I was scared as hell. Doesn't that count for anything?"

Selina put her nightgown on and shook her head. "No," she said. "Because there's no love in you. The only reason you were scared was because you don't want to lose my body, not because you love me, and therefore it doesn't count."

Klaus' eyes widened. "But how...?"

"In my dream," Selina said. "I saw it. You were talking to Elijah and you said that love was a weakness. And that you weren't weak. You didn't feel. You didn't care." Her voice cracked and tears began running down her cheeks. "I have to go now. Goodbye."


	27. Lady and Tiger

She began heading toward the door when Klaus sped over and put a hand on it, keeping it closed. "No," he said.

"Yes," she wiped her eyes and nodded. "This might seem strange to you, but I can't let things go on like they have been anymore. I need more than that now, and I wouldn't want you to go against everything you believe in just to make me happy, so I have to go."

Still keeping his hand on the door, he looked back at her. "What's happened?" he asked. "What did you see when you were asleep?"

She flushed a little. "You won't want to hear it. You're going to think it's stupid."

He shook his head. "No, I won't. Just tell me."

Selina sighed. "All right. It was just you and me, that's all. We were happy. Truly, genuinely happy. You loved me, and I loved you. Granted you didn't _say _it much, but I could just tell. And now I wake up after that last bit and-and you see why I have to go."

He shook his head. "But, I-"

"Just let her go," Alistair said. "Maybe it's for the best."

Slowly, Klaus removed his hand from the door. Selina left the room and went to get dressed and grab her things. Then she left the house, unsure of what to do next.

* * *

><p>She spent the rest of the day wandering aimlessly around town and when night came, she went straight ito the nearest restaurant, sat herself down at the bar, and ordered glass after glass of scotch. Her head was practically down on the table when she felt the tap on her shoulder. Slowly she sat up and tried to figure out who had just tapped her. She turned around.<p>

"Hey," said her companion. "Rough day? Looks like you've been drinking quite a bit."

She nodded. "Why do men have to suck so much?" she asked.

Anna smiled sympathetically and sat down beside her. "Have you and my brother been having some problems?"

Selina shook her head. "I wouldn't exactly call them _problems_, but I'm at the point where I need more from the relationship than he's willing to give, so I left."

"Smart," Anna said. "Where are you planning on staying tonight?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. I obviously can't go back to your brother's, and If I go back to my other house he'll just follow me, and it would be a _major_ cliche to go and hide out at my mother's-"

"How about you stay with me?" Anna said.

"Oh," Selina shook her head. "I wouldn't want to impose."

"No," Anna said. "You wouldn't be imposing. You've just been put through the ringer. What you need is a girls' night. I know this awesome little place. It'll be good for you. Let's go!" She grabbed Selina's hand and pulled her up from the barstool, plunking money for Selina's tab down on the counter. "Now come on," Anna said as she pulled a resistant Selina out the door. "The night is young and we have so much to do!

* * *

><p>Eventually, they arrived at a nondescript building that looked like a shack. Anna held onto Selina to keep her steady and then led her inside. As the door closed, everyone else in the place looked up. The room was silent for a moment before the bartender finally cleared her throat. "You brought us a new one tonight," she said. "A pretty one."<p>

"Yes," Anna nodded. "One of my brother's castoffs. I told her we'd show her a good time."

Two women playing cards in the corner looked up. "We certainly will," one of them said. "Why is it that your brother always throws away the best girls?"

"Because he's an idiot," Anna said. "But we don't mind. All the more for us."

A brunette at the card table laid down her hand facedown. She ambled over to Selina and grinned. "Hey, sugar. Can I get you a drink?"

Anna shook her head. "She's already had quite a bit. Maybe we should give it a rest for awhile."

"Well," the bartender turned on a stereo. "Only two things can solve what's ailing her. And if she won't drink, that only leaves one..."

"Wait a minute!" Selina bust out. "I can drink. What do you got?"

"We got anything you want," the bartender said. "But what do you say we make things a bit more interesting?"

"How?" Selina leaned forward against the bar.

"You ever played spin the bottle?" Asked the bartender, pulling an old Coke bottle out from underneath the bar.

"No," Selina shook her head. "How do you play?"

A tall, leggy blonde came up behind her and put her hands on Selina's shoulders. "You spin the bottle, and whoever it points to, you have to give them a kiss."

Selina turned. "Oh," she said a little breathlessly. "Oh..okay."

The blonde stepped around her and came close enough to her that their chests were touching. "What's a matter?" she asked. "Are you nervous?"

Selina shook her head and backed away a little. "No."

"It'll be okay," the blonde said. "Just shut your eyes, and relax. Breath deeply.."

Selina closed her eyes and felt the blonde's cool lips touch hers...they were slick with cherry chapstick. She was resistant for a moment and then her arms went around the blonde's waist. She kissed her back. When she pulled away, she turned to look at Anna. "Just how much have I had to drink tonight?"

"Obviously not enough," the bartender said. "Do you remember the reason why you were brought here?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Cause her brother is an idiot! Men suck!"

The bartender sent three beers down the bar and Selina drank them all. When she was so hammered she could barely stand up, they sat down and brought the bottle out. They spun it until Selina had pretty much kissed every girl in the place.

"Wow," Anna said when they were taking a break to prepare for strip poker. "You've made yourself quite popular, haven't you?"

Selina giggled and nodded. "I do my best."

"You know," Anna said, "They're calling you 'Tiger' now. I bet my brother's just kicking himself for losing someone with your stamina."

Selina nodded. "Yeah, well that's his fault."

Anna nodded. "That's right."

After six rounds of strip poker, Anna and Selina left the bar and took a taxi to Anna's house. They stepped out and struggled up the steps and into the building. Anna opened the door of her bedroom and a bunch of tiny, yapping puppies came running toward them.

Selina blinked. "I didn't know you liked dogs."

Anna shrugged. "Not exactly. Let's just say that every puppy here wasn't always a puppy."

"What do you mean?" Selina asked, sitting down.

"Every one of these animals was once a man who thought it would be a good idea to break up with me," Anna said. "Ordinarily I would have killed them, but then I thought to myself, wouldn't a _better_ punishment be to fix things so that they couldn't leave me ever?"

"Sure," Selina said. "I guess."

"Of course I'm right," Anna said. "And when they get too clingy, I eat them."

"What?" Selina asked. "You make puppies and then you _eat_ them? That's terrible!" she looked down and noticed a small terrier sniffing interestedly at her shoes. She picked him up and he began licking her. "And who's this little guy?" she asked. "Affectionate little creature, isn't he?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "He used to be the head of a multimedia empire. First shot I took with the 'intellectual type.' But in the end, it turned out he was much too clingy."

"Could I have him?" Selina asked. "Or were you planning on eating him later?"

"No," Anna shook her head. "If you want him don't let me stop you. A little companionship might do you some good."

Selina yawned. "I need to get to bed."

Anna nodded. "I think you do. You've had quite the evening. The spare room is across the hall from mine. You and your new little friend can have it."

Selina held him up. "Does he have a name?"

Anna nodded. "Rusty."

Selina grinned. "Rusty. I like it. Goodnight, Anna."

* * *

><p>A week had passed since Selina had left the house and they hadn't heard a word from her. Alistair was getting worried, and Klaus was getting restless. "You lied to me," he said. "You told me that she'd get better in a couple of days and come back. When's it going to happen?"<p>

Alistair shrugged. "I don't know."

Klaus punched the wall, making yet another dent. "Why don't you go out?" Alistair asked. "Get drunk and have a meaningless sexual encounter? Isn't that what you usually do?"

"Well yes," Klaus said. "But..."

"But," Alistair said, "could it be that you and Selina are both at the same point in your relationship where you need more than just sex?"

"Maybe," Klaus said. "But why would that work her up so much?"

Alistair leaned forward. "You don't know much about her life, do you?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well," Alistair said, "Actually it has everything to do with everything. Let me show you."

Klaus nodded and Alistair went upstairs and grabbed a piece of Selina's clothing that she'd left behind. It had a strand of her hair on it. He put the hair on top of the sweater and muttered some words. Then there was a jolt and everything seemed to shift. There was a whooshing sound and then everything stopped. They were sitting in a parlor, painted light blue. Klaus realized that they were no longer in their house.

"Where are we?" he whispered.

"Selina's parents' house," Alistair said. "They're coming now, I believe."

"But then shouldn't we...?"

Alistair shook his head. "Don't worry; they can't see us."

They watched as three people entered the room. A man stepped in first: tall with green eyes and brown hair, he had very fine, almost delicate features. His face broke easily into a smile.

"Selina's father," Alistair whispered. "Matthew Warren." Soon after followed a tiny blue eyed blonde who resembled Selina greatly. She was wearing a green dress and a straw hat with a matching green ribbon around the rim.

"Selina's mother?" Klaus whispered. "The one from the werewolf family? She's beautiful."

Alistair nodded briefly. "Correct. Amelia Warren."

Amelia was holding something small tightly to her chest. All Klaus could see was a tuft of black hair.

"Wait a minute," he whispered, "She's got Selina..."

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "Now shush."

"...I'm so glad you were able to make it back for leave, Matthew!" Amelia said. "What a nice surprise for both of us!"

"It's just as nice for me," Matthew said, taking Selina from Amelia's arms. "I wonder if Father's beginning to regret sending me away."

Amelia sat down on one of the parlor chairs. "I don't think so. He doesn't think that way. But at least he's acknowledging all the work you've done so far." She grinned as Selina snuggled in his grasp. "She remembers you."

Matthew nodded. "Apparently she does. I was worried about that."

"Why?" Amelia asked. "I wouldn't think you'd have any reason to be."

"Well," Matthew said, "sometimes you never know. But let's focus on happy things now, and take the time we have. Who knows if we'll have it again."

Then things began to shift again.

"Selina's father was a soldier in the Mexican-American War," Alistair explained. "He left to fight when Selina was just two months old. He was killed in action six months later."

Their surroundings began to solidify again...

they were out in a backyard. The sky was dark, and a bright full moon hung overhead. Suddenly they heard giggles and Selina raced in front of them chasing a dog. She was much older now, about five or six and she wore a blue dress that matched her eyes. She ran into the path of the overseer who blinked and began ambling toward her unsteadily. He'd obviously been drinking. Suddenly, he picked her up and carried her toward the slave quarters. She began to thrash around and struggle quite a bit. Then, he smacked her soundly across the face. She pushed him off and grabbed the knife out of his pocket, slashing at his hands and face. Groaning, he dropped her, but she continued to chase him, wielding the knife, her eyes flashing and spit dripping down her chin. When they reached the house, the overseer knocked on the door pleading to be let in. Finally, a young boy about eleven years of age opened the door and ushered the overseer inside. Then he picked up Selina and pulled her in too, holding her down so that she wouldn't thrash.

"That was when her cousin Michael, first realized that if he didn't watch her closely, she could end up a werewolf before her time when no one in the family wanted it for her at all," Alistair said. "Especially not her mother."

The next change of scenery...

Selina, now age fourteen, was sitting in her room reading a book when the door burst open, nearly breaking off its hinges. A broad, muscular man with dark hair, bloodshot dark eyes and a ruddy complexion entered the room. Selina looked up. Her eyes widened. As he advanced toward the bed, she scrambled to get off it and run toward the door. Just as she reached it, however, he grabbed her around the waist, swore, and then punched her in the eye and slammed her head once hard against the wall, dropping her so that she crumpled to the floor in a heap. Then, he left, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as it was over, instead of going forward to the next scene, Alistair turned to face Klaus. He saw that Klaus' whole body was tense. His hands were balled into fists. His eyes were blazing. "Who was that?" he asked

"The man?" Alistair asked. "That was Robert Pierce, Amelia Warren's second husband, an insecure rat if there ever was one. Katherine influenced him so that he believed she was his daughter. That's how she wormed her way into Amelia's house so she could make sure that Selina was there to be used and any dopplegangers that were still part of her line would be saved. You want to kill him, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Klaus' voice was tight.

"Don't worry," Alistair said. "A few months after this, Matthew returned to Mystic Falls and took care of the job himself. He was just as displeased as you."

"Selina's father was a vampire?" Klaus asked. "How?"

"Lucy," Alistair said. "Remember? She saved him from dying of typhoid by giving him her blood. Then eighteen years later, he came back for her mother."

"Oh," Klaus said.

"Are you ready to move on?" Alistair asked. "There's not much more left to see."

Klaus sighed. "All right."

The scene shifted again. They were in the foyer of another mansion. People were milling around, many of them standing around a girl with auburn hair and green eyes. She wasn't particularly pretty. Klaus wondered why they were wasting their time when other girls had so much more to admire..."

"Selina's this way," Alistair said.

They found her standing against one of the French doors and staring out into the backyard where several young men were talking to one another.

"I know this party is for Louisa Forbes," one of them, a man with light brown hair and a blue riding jacket clutching a glass of brandy said, "but you have to admit there are so many better options."

"Yes," another one agreed. "Anyone who's spent more than five seconds with Louisa knows how much she nags. Can you imagine having to listen to her at the breakfast table every single morning for the rest of your life?"

"It wouldn't have to be forever," the one with the brandy corrected. "You only have to put up with her until she bears you a son, maybe two. Then, you can send her to live with your mother in the country and you need never see her again."

"I wouldn't even marry her for that," said a man named James McPherson, who was a friend of Michael's. "I'd rather wait a couple of years for a sure thing."

"Meaning who?" asked another voice, whose body was hidden from me.

"Meaning Selina Warren," James said.

"Michael's cousin?" asked the other boys in surprise.

"Of course," James nodded easily. "She's a meek little thing. I could do whatever I wanted with her and she wouldn't interfere. Plus, she's much richer than Louisa. She'll have the entire Warren fortune come to her when she turns eighteen, besides whatever she gets from the Lockwoods, which will be something indeed."

"But doesn't Selina have some sort of understanding with Giuseppe Salvatore's oldest son?" the man with the brandy asked.

"You could say that," James answered. "But old man Salvatore is very enthusiastic about his son going off to war. It's highly likely that Damon will die while fighting, leaving Selina in need of someone else to watch over her. I think I'll go have a chat with her uncle Charles tomorrow and see if we can't make up some sort of deal."

Klaus burst out laughing. "'meek little thing'? He's obviously never seen her at full power. And did you hear them Alistair? Talking about her as if she were some sort of object..." He cut off as they turned to see Selina turn away from the door, curl up into a ball and cry her eyes out.

"I think we're done here," Alistair said. And the room shifted one last time and Klaus found them back upstairs at Doctor Stensrund's.

"We have to get her back," Klaus said. "I don't care what you have to do."

Alistair smiled. "All right." He left the house and began walking around town looking for her. Finally, he found her sitting on a bench in the park knitting a sweater, a little dog in a knitted hat and coat at her side. "Hi," he said.

Selina looked up. "Hello, Alistair."

He sat down next to her. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "Of course!

"So you haven't had any problems the last week?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I found a new hobby to occupy my time. I knit now."

Alistair nodded. "I see that. And when did you get the dog?"

"Right after I left," Selina said. "His name is Rusty, isn't he cute? I take him everywhere, even to bed." She began rooting around in her purse. "Would you like a butterscotch candy?"

Alistair put up a hand and shook his head. "No. But I have to say I'm worried about you."

"Why?" Selina asked.

He watched her work her knitting needles, their clacking making him wince. "Have you...been with anyone since you left us?" He asked. "Had any males in your bed...besides the dog, I mean?"

Selina shook her head. "No."

"So you've replaced necessary intimate male companionship with knitting needles, butterscotch candy and a _dog_?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I'm sure Klaus is managing just as well as me."

"Not really," Alistair said. "Twice I've gone down to the all night market and found him in the fruit and vegetable aisle squeezing the melons."

"Oh, dear," Selina said.

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "I really think that your knitting and his melon-squeezing are indicative of a bigger psychological problem."

Selina sighed. "If it's really as bad as you say, I suppose I could come with you."

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "Good."

She followed him back to Doctor Stensrund's. They opened the front door. "I'm home," Alistair called. "And I brought Selina with me."


	28. Cinderella

But no one answered. "Huh, that's strange," Alistair said. Then his eyes widened. "Would you stay here for a moment?" He asked her. "Or maybe go upstairs and bathe? You still smell like dog."

Selina winced. "You're right; I mean, the dog didn't seem to mind, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to spend_ some_ time in the bath." Alistair nodded and she sprinted up the stairs while Alistair made his way to the front door, where Klaus just had his hand on the handle. "Where are you going?" Alistair asked.

Klaus turned, his eyes wide. "Nowhere. Just out."

"Or you could stay in," Alistair said. "What you're doing right now isn't healthy."

"Who cares?" Klaus asked. "I'm coping and I haven't killed anyone, so you should be glad."

"I _am_ pleased about that," Alistair said. "But I have a better way for you to deal with your frustrations."

"And what's that?" Klaus asked suspiciously. "I don't have to help people, do I?"

Alistair shook his head. "No. It's much better suited to your taste than that. The bathtub is having drainage issues and I need you to fix it."

"What?" Klaus asked. "How does that help me?"

Alistair pushed a resistant Klaus up the stairs. "It'll help you, I promise. Just trust me."

They arrived at the bathroom door, which was closed.

"Well don't just stand there," Alistair whispered. "Open it. If you need anything, just call me. I'll be downstairs."

Klaus turned. "Wait, but I-"

Alistair ignored him and went downstairs. Klaus rolled his eyes and opened the bathroom door, finding himself face to face with Selina in a bubble bath. Her black hair was pulled back with a pink ribbon to keep it from getting wet.

"Hey," she leaned forward. "I need that loofah on the counter next to you. Would you get it for me, please?"

"Of course," Klaus said, picking it up. "But you know that I'd be more than happy to come in there and help you."

Selina grinned. "Well aren't you sweet? But I've spent the last week sleeping in the same bed as a dog, so I'm not exactly the cleanest person in the world. I will be soon though, I promise..."

Klaus grabbed the loofah and placed it on the toilet tank. "I think you can reach it from there," he said, a twinkle in his eye.

Selina got on her knees and peered at it. "You know, I think I can. And I won't even have to get out of here, either." She grabbed the edge of the tub and pushed herself up so that she was fully upright. Bubbles covered her body. She was dripping. She anchored herself by putting one hand on the side wall of the tub and then stretched out her torso and daintily grabbed the loofah with her thumb and forefinger. Then she looked up at Klaus. "See anything you like?" She asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "But not enough."

"Of course," Selina said. She sat back down and lathered up the loofah and began scrubbing her legs with it, sticking first one up and then the other. When she brought the second one down, she grinned at him. "Are you all right?"

He cleared his throat and blinked. "Yes," he said. "Of course, I'm fine." He put the lid down on the toilet and sat down next to her. "So," he said, trying to control his breathing. "How did Alistair find you?"

"In the park," Selina said. "I was knitting. I don't see what's so wrong with that. But he made it seem like you were going off your nut so I came back."

Klaus frowned. "I was not!"

"Really?" Selina asked. "He said you spent every night last week in the fruit and vegetable aisle of the twenty-four hour market squeezing melons. Now I'm no psychoanalyst, but..."

Klaus scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. Knitting?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded and dunked the loofah in the water. "What about it?"

A smile slowly curved his lips. "Think about knitting needles, Selina. Long and pointed...you have to handle them..."

Selina swallowed. "That has nothing to do with anything," she said. "It was just a way for me to occupy my time."

"I think I will come in there with you," he said. "It's not like you don't have room."

"No!" Selina said quickly. "I prefer to bathe alone."

Klaus laughed and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Since when?"

Selina began scooting away as he peeled it off. "Nice to see you're making room for me," he said.

"I'm not," Selina frowned. "Now go away."

He undid his belt and unzipped his pants, letting them fall to the floor. "See anything you like?" He asked.

Selina had been watching him intently. "What?" She asked.

He gripped the edge of the tub. "See anything you like?" he repeated.

Slowly she nodded. "I guess," she said.

"I think you more than guess," he said as he climbed in beside her.

She looked away from him. "So you made in here. Big deal. It only happened because I let you."

He began kissing her neck. "I bet you missed this."

She did her best to control her breathing. "No," she said. "Not really." She moaned. "I could take it or leave it."

He growled. "Let me take you."

She kissed him. "Okay," she said.

By the time they were done, there were puddles all over the floor and the mirror had cracks in it from Selina's shrieking.

She breathed heavily. "I can't believe I thought having a dog was an adequate substitute for _that_."

Just then, they heard scratching at the bathroom door. "What's that?" Klaus asked. He tensed.

"Don't worry," Selina said, getting out of the tub. "It's probably just Rusty."

Klaus' eyes narrowed. "And who's Rusty?"

Selina opened the door and Rusty scampered inside. "_This_ is Rusty," Selina said. "Isn't he cute?"

Klaus smiled. "How sweet of you, darling. You brought me a snack!"

Selina shook her head vigorously. "Rusty is _not_ a snack! He's my best friend!"

Klaus smirked. "He's an _animal, _Selina."

"Yeah?" Selina said. "Well so are you and I still let _you _near me even though it's really against my better judgment."

Klaus winked and slowly got out of the tub. "And don't you forget about it," he said very close to her ear. Just then, there was a knock at the bathroom door. "Is everything all right in here?" Alistair called. "What broke?"

"Just the mirror," Selina called back.

"Everything's as good as it usually is," Klaus added.

Selina put Rusty down on the floor and covered herself up in a towel and threw one at Klaus before opening the bathroom door. "I'll take him out of here," Alistair said, picking up Rusty. "He got away from me."

"It's all right," Selina said. "No problem at all."

* * *

><p>Late that night after everyone else had gone to bed, Alistair sat in the library pondering. He was definitely making progress with those two, because he'd seen the look on Klaus' face when he'd shown him Selina's past. It was good for him to look like that. It proved that there was still some feeling left in him. Not that he'd show that to her, at least not yet. But the day would come, Alistair was sure of it. Now what was his next move? Working on Selina, that was it. She'd be easy. And he knew just how to do it, too. He stood up from the sofa and went over to one of the bookshelves, picking one of his spellbooks out to look for something under "time travel." He would send them back...back hundreds of years. Selina would see how good he <em>could<em> be and she'd give. Or at least it would be a good start, anyway.

He grabbed the spellbook off the shelf and took it into their bedroom where they were asleep and sprawled in their usual odd manner after an evening of heedless, animalistic passion. He rolled his eyes and set the book down on the foot of the bed, turned it to the correct page and began reciting. When he was finished, he smiled with satisfaction. It would be nice to deal with the other problems without them around to complicate things.

* * *

><p>Selina opened her eyes and gasped. "Where the hell are we?" She nudged Klaus who was asleep beside her. "Hey," she said. "Wake up."<p>

"What?" He asked groggily. "Be patient. I'm not at my best right when I wake up."

Selina shook her head. "No, not that! Look around. Do you have any idea where we are? Because this isn't home, that's for sure. Unless Alistair undertook a massive redecorating job during the night."

Klaus sat up. "No," He said. "That's not it."

"Well do you know where we are?" Selina asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "But I don't know how we got here."

"First, where are we?" Selina asked.

Klaus cleared his throat. "England, 1492."

Selina burst out laughing. "No, really. Where are we?"

"That's where we are!" Klaus said insistently. "Elijah and I had an estate here back then...I mean, now."

Selina's eyes widened. "You think he's here too? Oh, goody."

Klaus nodded. "Let's see, shall we?"

Selina started to get up and then Klaus put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "No," he said. "Stay here. Let _him_ come to _us_."

"What if he doesn't come?"

Klaus grinned. "Trust me, darling. He'll come."

So they waited and not five minutes later, they heard insistent banging on the bedroom door.

"Come in, Elijah," Klaus said. He gave Selina a wink.

The door opened and Elijah strode in. He turned to face them. "Really, Niklaus. It's after noon and as usual you insist wasting the day away with women of loose morals when there's work to be done!"

"Hey!" Selina burst out. "Watch it."

Elijah blinked. "I beg your pardon."

Selina nodded. "I certainly hope you do."

"Why so urgent, Elijah?" Klaus asked.

"You know we're hosting that party tonight," Elijah said. "And I need your help. I can't do it all on my own."

"Well you're going to have to," Klaus said. "Because we're busy."

Elijah rolled his eyes, threw up his hands and left the room.

Klaus turned to her and grinned.

"Very nicely handled," Selina said.

"Oh," he said, "You're too kind."

Selina sat up and threw the covers aside. "Out this window," she asked. "Do you remember if it has a nice view?"

He shook his head. "I didn't spend a lot of time looking, love. My mind was on other things."

Selina rolled her eyes, but grinned. "Of course it was." She pulled covers around her and went to open up the window. "There's a maze down there," she observed.

He nodded. "Yes there is."

"Let me guess," Selina said as he came to put his arms around her, "you spent many happy hours chasing damsels around in it."

"Well yes," Klaus admitted. "I did."

She sighed. "This is going to sound strange, but when I was living in Paris, I visited Versailles and went through the maze there and ever since then I've had this fantasy about going into a maze with a man and getting lost...never being able to find my way out..."

"Not too strange," he said. "We could give it a try."

"But what about the party?" Selina asked. "How much are we looking forward to it?"

Klaus shook his head. "Not much. Elijah planned it, so I have no doubt it will be _exceedingly _dull."

She hugged the blanket tighter around her. "So," she said, "to continue with those ten things you have to tell me-"

"Do we_ really_ have to continue with that?" He asked. "You said that it was the thing that was keeping us from having sex, but we have so what's the point?"

"The point," Selina said, "is that I'm curious. And it's really not that difficult. What's your favorite sport?"

"Hunting," Klaus said immediately. "My preferred game being pretty women lost in mazes." He kissed her neck and she shivered. "You know," he said, "It's been awhile since I've had a good hunt..."

"Really?" Selina asked. "I could meet you at the entrance to the maze after we dress and then we could see how long it takes you to find me."

He took her hand in his and kissed her fingers. "What do I get if I find you?"

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Well this, for starters..."

He pulled the blanket off her and pushed her against the wall. She moaned, then pulled away. "We can't do this now," she said.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because," Selina said, "we have to get dressed and greet the day."

He grinned. "You won't be dressed for long if I can help it."

"Go," she said firmly. "Get hold of whoever we need to get hold of, and I'll meet you at the maze in a bit."

* * *

><p>They met at the head of the maze. Selina stared down at the twists and turns and took a deep breath. "So," she said, "how do you want to do this? You say 'go' and we make a run for it?"<p>

Klaus grinned. "Or we could just run." She grinned and took off and after a couple seconds, he ran after her. "Nice of you to give me a head start," she called.

"What can I say?" He called back. "I'm a sport." She went around a turn and giggled as he missed her and went the other way. She paused to catch her breath and then just kept on running. Eventually she lost sight of the entryway, but Klaus was always two steps behind her.

She began panting heavily. "How much longer do you want to go?" She called.

"Why?" he asked, coming up so that he was practically behind her. "Are you getting tired?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I was just wondering." She took off running again. Eventually, he caught her by the fountain.

"All right," she said. "You win."

He grinned. "Of course I do. Are you hot?"

She coughed. "Just a little."

He looked at the fountain and then back at her. "I believe we can remedy that."

"I don't know," Selina said. But he was already undoing her buttons. He pulled the dress off and began working on her corset. Then he picked her up and tossed her into the fountain.

"Wow," she said. "This water's actually really warm. I thought it was going to be cold." She watched as he stripped and joined her. They sat in silence for a moment, and then she splashed him. He splashed back. When they were both dripping, he grabbed her and kissed her soundly.

"Um," she moaned. The kiss was long and deep. When he pulled away, she inhaled. "Thank you," she said. "That was the first good deep breath I've gotten all day."

They played in the fountain until it got dark and a very grumpy Elijah came to summon them inside.

"Did you see how mad he was?" Selina giggled. "I never noticed that vein in his forehead before and he's yelled at me lots of times!"

He kissed her again. "You're getting to be as good at Elijah-baiting as I am."

They dressed for the party and then made their way down to the ballroom. "Who should we tell people I am?" Selina asked. "Obviously I wasn't here the first time. What if I told him that I was nobility from some obscure country? People are undoubtedly going to ask where I'm from and it's not like I can say 'The United States of America' since it hasn't even been colonized or whatever yet."

Klaus nodded. "True."

Eventually they reached the ballroom, walking in slowly. It seemed like they were the last to arrive.

When he found them, Elijah took Klaus aside. "What would possess you to bring her here?" he asked, looking significantly at Selina. "You can't have women like her at places like this!"

"For heaven's sake," Selina snapped. "I'm _not_ a prostitute, all right? I have just as much right to be here as you do."

"And may I ask why?" Elijah asked, giving her a keen look.

"Because," Selina said, straightening her spine so she was a couple inches taller, "Not only are my parents members of the ruling family of Syphira, but also, your brother and I happen to be engaged!"


	29. Poker Face

Elijah dropped the cup he was holding and its contents spilled all over his shirt. "What?" He asked. "Could you repeat that?"

"Of course," Selina said. "Your brother and I are betrothed. I _told_ you I wasn't a prostitute!"

Elijah looked at Klaus. "And when were you planning on telling me this?"

Klaus shrugged. "I would have told you eventually. But I liked that reaction _much _better."

Elijah began dabbing at himself with a handkerchief. "I have to go change," he said. "Would you please tell everyone where I've gone and that I'll return soon?"

"Of course," Selina said. Elijah hurried from the room and once he was gone, Selina and Klaus burst out laughing. "Did you see the look on his face?" Selina said. "Absolutely priceless!"

Klaus nodded. "I have to agree."

"Sorry about that though," Selina said. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that."

Klaus shook his head. "No, no, it's fine."

Selina raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really. If we don't keep this up, they'll separate us. And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Selina grinned and shook her head as he put his arm around her waist. "No, I don't think we would."

They watched people mill around and when the musicians began playing, spun around the floor for a dance. But when the music ended, they headed out of the ballroom.

"We didn't tell anyone where Elijah went," Selina whispered. "Do you think we should?"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Because nobody asked."

"Ah," Selina nodded. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere that's not here," Klaus said.

They made their way out of the ballroom and had just reached the stairs that led to the upper floors when they ran into Elijah coming down. "You two aren't leaving so soon, are you?" he asked.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Why in the world would we want to stay?"

"Because," Elijah said, "I believe this is an occasion to celebrate."

"Why?" Selina asked. "What are we celebrating?"

"Well," Elijah smiled. "While I was cleaning myself up, I realized something. You're the first woman my brother's brought home and kept for more than an evening. He really must like you."

"Well I admit I don't _hate _her," Klaus said carefully, avoiding Selina's eyes.

"Exactly," Elijah said. "We should take advantage of this moment. I've already had the servants send for a priest and I'm going to make the announcement as soon as I get back to the ballroom."

Selina frowned. "What announcement?"

"That the two of you are going to be married!" Elijah said.

"What?" Selina and Klaus said at the same time. "No, call it off, call it off, call it off!"

"Why?" Elijah asked. "The two of you are clearly in love with one another. If the amount of time you spent in that fountain is any indication."

"That doesn't prove anything," Klaus said.

"Of course it doesn't," Selina said quickly. "Just because we have a physical relationship doesn't mean we love each other. If we marry, it could ruin everything!"

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "We worked very hard to get where we are in our relationship and we like it just the way it is."

"How do you know things will go wrong?" Elijah asked.

"Because they just will," Selina said. "There's no doubt about it."

"Well I think you're wrong," Elijah said. "I'll see you in the ballroom in ten minutes. You two will thank me for this someday." And he turned on his heel and strode away without giving them a chance to say another word.

"Damn," Klaus said. "He's a pain in the ass at home and he's a pain in the ass here."

"Yeah," Selina said. "What is with the thought that just because two people are in a stable, reasonably good relationship, they automatically should get married?"

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know."

"Do you think that if we snuck out of here, he wouldn't realize we were gone until it was too late?" Selina asked.

"We could give it a try," Klaus told her. "It worked the first time, didn't it?"

"But we don't have Alistair or a getaway vehicle this time so the escape will be more difficult."

"Does it matter?" Klaus asked.

"Hell, no," Selina shook her head. "I was just putting it out there."

They watched for a little while and then grabbed hands and sprinted toward the nearest door. They made it out of the house, but Elijah caught them as Selina was struggling to get on her horse.

"Are you two going to come in now?" He asked.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Actually, we were thinking of leaving."

Eijah heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Come inside, Niklaus. It looks like rain and you wouldn't want to be out riding during a storm."

Klaus glared at him but started back toward the house after Elijah put a hand in the center of his back and pushed. He then put his other hand in the center of Selina's back so they were walking together.

"This is all_ your_ fault," Klaus snapped at her. "If you'd have just let me _lift _you onto the horse, we would have gotten away, but _no. _You and your girl power bit."

Selina rolled her eyes. "So I forgot how hard it is to climb on a horse in a skirt. Lay off."

Just then, the clouds burst overhead and it began to rain in sheets, soaking all of them. Once Selina slipped in the mid and got her skirt dirty. Elijah gave her a hand up, but Klaus just shook himself out of Elijah's grasp and strode back into the house.

When Elijah arrived in the ballroom with Selina soon after, the guests in the ballroom looked at them curiously. "Has something happened?" Asked the priest. "Is there still going to be a wedding?"

Suddenly the ballroom broke out in titters.

Elijah held up a hand. "I don't think you need to worry about that, Father. They merely wanted a few last minutes alone before they wed and were caught in the storm."

Suddenly the ballroom dissolved into laughter and Selina and Klaus smiled tightly at the assembled crowd. They stood stiffly in front of the priest and their "I dos" were flat but satisfactory. Finally, the priest said. "I now pronouce you man and wife." Klaus and Selina looked at one another. Were they supposed to kiss now? In front of all these people? Finally, they shut their eyes and touched lips briefly. Everyone in the room cheered.

"See?" Elijah said. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Klaus and Selina left the ballroom. "Well that was the most hellish experience of my life."

"Couldn't have been as bad for you as it was for me," Klaus countered.

Selina groaned. "Now I wish we would have told Elijah I was a prostitute."

* * *

><p>After everyone had gone home, Selina and Klaus were left alone for the evening. "What are we supposed to do now?" Selina asked.<p>

"Well," Klaus said, "there are actually several things you can do. I can think of one in particular."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I don't want to."

"Well all right," Klaus said. He took off his shirt and threw it at her. "I lost a button on that shirt. Put a new one on."

Selina smirked. "Do it yourself. Who made you the boss of me?"

"The church," Klaus grinned. "Now, since we're married you have to do whatever I say."

Selina glared. "And what if _I _say I don't want to put a stupid button on your stupid shirt?" She was yelling now. Just then, A maid entered carrying sheets. She stared at them. "Well?" Selina snapped when she finally noticed her. "Do what you need to do and then go away."

The maid quickly put the sheets on the bed and then scampered out of the room.

"I'll be leaving now," Klaus said smoothly. "Don't wait up for me. I don't know when I'm going to get back. It just depends on how drunk I get."

He left and Selina growled and fell back onto the bed. "You're living in a nightmare," she said to herself. "Things can't get any worse than this."

* * *

><p>Klaus arrived at the local tavern and sat down among a group of the closest thing he had to friends. "So," one of them said as he got out the dice. "We've heard you've taken a wife. Never thought you'd be trapped that way."<p>

Klaus smirked. "It's not like that at all. It was my brother's idea. The girl was a prostitute and just because I kept her a little longer than normal, Elijah became convinced that I fancied her and called a priest without consulting me."

"So you don't...love her or anything like that?" The man asked.

Klaus shook his head. "No, Alfred. She's just a body, that's all. A beautiful, supple body."

The men smirked and called for drinks as they as they pulled out cards and dealt them out. Klaus was ready. He had lots of money and didn't intend on losing any of it.

* * *

><p>Yet, six games later, he was nearly broke. At least the alcohol helped ease the pain. As he plunked his last coin down on the table, the door to the tavern opened and suddenly everything went quiet. A woman stood in the doorway. That didn't happen. She strode across the place and talked with the man who ran the bar.<p>

Alfred nudged him in the ribs which stopped him from banging his head on the table. "What?" he asked.

"There's a woman here," Alfred said. "She just came in. A pretty one. I know you're married, but that doesn't mean you can't look." Klaus sat up just as Selina strode into view. When she saw him, she came over to the table. "I've taken a job here," she said. "And if you have a problem with that, I don't care." Then she left.

All of the men were looking at him now. "You know her?" Alfred asked finally.

Klaus blinked. "That-that's my wife," he finally got out.

Alfred pushed a lock of dark hair out of his cold green eyes. "You still have a debt to cover and you seem to be out of money."

"Oh," Klaus said. "So I am."

"But," Alfred continued, "I would be willing to strike a deal with you. Give me your wife and we'll call it even."

Klaus finished off what was in his glass and nodded. "All right. You've got a deal."


	30. Off The Deep End

Klaus headed back to the house and Selina met him at the door. "So," she said, "how was poker? Did you lose much?"

He nodded. "Yes," he said. "An arm and a leg. But I took another man's money afterward, so we're still as good as we were before I left."

Selina nodded. "That doesn't surprise me. You'd sell your own mother if it'd get you money."

Klaus' eyes widened. "No I didn't. What have you heard?"

She gave him a look. "I was only kidding. What's the matter with you?"

He shook his head. "Oh, nothing." He said laughing weakly. "I'm fine."

"All right," Selina eyed him strangely. She looked out the window. "It's getting dark and that means it's our wedding night. So what do you want to do?"

"Well," Klaus said, "if my memory serves me correctly, if we go out on the roof, we can get a wonderful view of the stars. Would you like to?"

"Of course," Selina said. "I'd love to." She gave him her hand and he led her onto the roof. They lay down side by side on their backs, their eyes on the sky. "Everything's so clear now," Selina said. "No glare from streetlights or anything."

"There's a shooting star," Klaus said. "Make a wish."

Selina sat up. "Really?"

He nodded. "Why not?"

She smiled. "Okay."

Klaus felt a shiver go through his body. "Could I share things three and four with you?" He asked after awhile.

She turned and nodded. "Of course. What are they?"

"Well," he said, "I know it seems like the only reason I want us to have sex all the time is because I want your body, but the truth is, there's more to it than that. It's the only time I ever hear you laugh. And see you smile. I love the light in your eyes when you smile."

"Really?" She said. She kissed him. "Would you like to see it again?"

He nodded and as she threw her arms around him, he began to undress her. "I love you," she said as he eased her back down on the roof.

* * *

><p>After they redressed and headed back inside, Klaus was careful to avoid Selina's eyes. They sat and stared at one another in silence until finally selina cleared her throat. "So that's all that happened during poker then? You lost all your money and then robbed some guy to get the same amount back?"<p>

"Actually," he said, "that's not all that happened. My for lack of a better word_ friend_ Alfred asked me about you."

"He did?" Selin asked. "Which one was he?"

"Medium height, dark brown hair, light blue eyes," Klaus said.

"Oh," Selina's eyes widened. "The guy who was sitting next to you? He had a nice set of shoulders on him, I'm not going to lie."

"So you like him?" Klaus asked.

"Sure," Selina nodded. "I guess. Why?"

"Well," Klaus said, "He wanted a date with you, and I said I'd set something up. You don't mind, do you?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "It didn't bother him that we're married? Or did you tell him that I was your wife at all?"

"I did mention that, yes," Klaus said. "Are you having second thoughts?"

Selina shook her head. "No, I was just curious. But as long as he's okay with it..."

"Oh," Klaus assured her, "he's okay with it. He's very okay with it."

"All right," Selina nodded. "So when are we going out?"

"Would tomorrow afternoon work for you?" Klaus asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Fine. But you aren't going to be there when he comes, are you? Because that would just be kind of weird."

"Oh, I promise I'll make myself scarce," Klaus said. "You don't need to worry about that."

* * *

><p>The next day, Klaus seemed incredibly antsy. "Are you all right?" Selina asked. "I've never seen you like this."<p>

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I'm fine."

She grinned. "You're not upset because I'm going out with another guy, are you?"

Klaus smirked. "Of course not. What would give you that idea? Have you chosen what you're going to wear this afternoon?"

"I'm having trouble with that, actually," Selina said. "It's really hard to wear clothes from this time period and feel sexy. Most of the time, all I feel is trapped."

"I could come and have a look if you'd like," he offered.

"Sure," she nodded. "Thanks."

He followed her to where all her clothes were kept. "I'd go with the blue if I were you," Klaus said. "It's tightest."

Selina eyed the dress he was displaying thoughtfully. "All right," she said. "But I thought that was the color _you_ liked me in. That's what I got it for."

Klaus blinked. "Really?"

Selina nodded. "Yes."

So they finally decided on a purple dress instead and when it was announced that Alfred had arrived, Klaus followed Selina to the door, despite the fact that he'd promised to make himself scarce.

"Hello, Alfred," he said.

"Why hello, Niklaus," Alfred said smoothly. "Would you care to introduce me to your beautiful wife?"

"Alfred, this is Selina, Selina this is Alfred." Klaus said, his eyes not moving from Alfred's face. Alfred took Selina's hand and kissed it. "Lovely to meet you," he said.

Selina smiled. "The pleasure's all mine, I'm sure."

Klaus growled as he watched them.

"Are you all right?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Something in my throat, that's all."

"Oh," Selina nodded as Alfred ushered her out the door. "Well, I hope you find something to do with yourself tonight."

Oh, I will," Klaus said. "You don't need to be concerned about me. You two just focus on having a good time."

* * *

><p>Alfred led Selina out to his carriage and then the two of them drove over the bumpy roads toward his estate. "That's a very nice dress," he said.<p>

"Thank you," Selina told him. "It's new." She turned away from him and looked out the window. When the carriage hit a particularly jarring bump in the muddy road, she was thrown against him and he took hold of her so she wouldn't fall out of the carriage, placing one hand around her waist and one hand on her breast. "I'm sorry," he said after he let her go. "These doors don't close very firmly and I didn't want you to fall, so I just had to grab what I could."

"Oh," Selina said, taking a deep breath, "I suppose I could sidestep impropriety for a moment because you _were _saving my life."

Alfred nodded. "Well again, I apologize."

Selina nodded. "It's all right," she said.

They drove the rest of the way to his estate in silence and when they got inside, a stout woman in an apron approached them. "Is this the new girl?" She asked.

Alfred nodded. "Yes," he said. "Take her down to the kitchens and make sure she's aware of what's required of her."

The woman nodded. "And should I send her up to you tonight, sir?" she asked.

"Yes," Alfred said. "Please do." he leaned closer to Selina. "I will be eagerly waiting for her."

* * *

><p>It was the worst day of Selina's life. Alice, the woman in the apron, was head of Alfred's staff. She dragged Selina to the servant's hall where her beautiful purple dress was peeled from her body and she was outfitted in the rags of a servant. Then she was forced to clean Alfred's castle and help prepare his dinner for the evening.<p>

"You're not very useful, are you?" asked one of the little serving girls who was eyeing her critically. "You seem too delicate for this kind of work."

"Hey!" Selina said. "Just because I can't haul a fifty pound water bucket on my shoulders doesn't mean I'm not useful!"

"Esther," Alice asked the girl, "How's the princess doing with the vegetables?"

Esther grinned. "She's completely ruined them! Look at the carrots, they're all cut to ribbons!"

Alice took the spoon and gave Selina a swat on the bottom with it. "Go help prepare the chicken while I fix this mess you've made!"

Selina had visions of breaking Alice's neck, but she held herself in check and went to help with the chicken. "I'm supposed to help you," she told the head cook.

"All right," he said, handing her a knife. "Kill this chicken. And do it cleanly. I don't want blood everywhere." Selina took the knife and stared at the very much alive chicken, who stared back, clucked once, and then slowly began to walk away from her.

"Don't you run away from me!" Selina cried and brought the knife down on its neck. Blood spattered all over her.

"Well," Alice said in surprise. "You may not know how to properly cut vegetables, but at least you can kill a chicken."

But that glory was shortlived after she nearly caught the kitchen on fire and was herded upstairs by Alice.

"Sir," Alice said to Alfred. "Would you mind taking her early? She's made a mess of the kitchens."

"Of course," Alfred said. "Thank you, Alice."

Alice nodded and left them alone. "So," Alfred said, running his finger down her cheek. "How are you?"

Selina slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me," she snapped. "What did you bring me here for anyway?"

Alfred laughed. "How could you not know, with last night being your wedding night and all..." He pulled her to him and kissed her, struggling to get her dress off.

"You can't do this to me!" Selina said shrilly.

"Of course I can," Alfred said simply. "You are my property, therefore I can do with you what I wish. And now, I want your body."

"What do you mean I'm your property?" Selina asked.

Alfred laughed. "Your husband was short on funds during our game yesterday, and so I told him that if he gave you to me, his debt would be covered."

"I don't think so," Selina said. She could feel her fangs begin to lengthen. She shoved Alfred roughly into the window and it cracked. He was dazed. She broke it the rest of the way, grabbed a particularly large shard and slit his throat with it, lapping up his blood as it spilled. Then she transformed into a wolf and leapt out the window.

She'd never been so mad in her life. She killed every person she came across no matter who they were. Eventually though, word got around and she got cornered in the woods by a bunch of vigilante hunters. They were mostly bad shots except one got an arrow in her shoulder and another one an arrow in her right front paw. She managed to limp home to the estate and scratch at the door with the paw that wasn't wounded.

By the time Klaus answered it though, she was spent. He picked her up, saw the extent of her wounds, and gently pulled the arrows out after he placed her in one of the spare bedrooms. He had to figure out some way to get her home. It wasn't safe for her here anymore.

At a knock on the door, he looked up. "Come in," he called. Elijah entered. "Hello, brother," he said. "I was just going to get a drink and I wanted to see if you'd like to come along."

"No," Klaus said, looking at Selina in the bed. "I don't think so. You go on ahead."

"And one more thing," Elijah said. "You have a visitor."

A momemt later, Alistair entered the room. "I came to check on you two," he said. "How are things going?"

"Selina's been hurt," Klaus said quietly. "How do we get home so we can make her well again?"

"That's easy enough," Alistair said.

They were all three home a few minutes later. Klaus tucked Selina in again. "Is she going to be all right?" he asked Alistair.

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "She's too weak to change back now, but she'll be human again in the morning."

At that moment, Rusty came charging into the room and stood beside the bed, barking. It was clear he wanted up near where Selina was.

"Not right now," Klaus said. "She might inadvertantly kill you in the state she's in now." He picked him up and carried him out of the room. "You'll see her in the morning."

He put Rusty in the kitchen and grabbed a chair from the dining room, placing it by the bedroom door so he'd know if Selina woke up in the night.

* * *

><p>He woke up the next morning with a sore back. Selina seemed to be all right, and she'd transformed back as Alistair had said she would. He got up out of his chair and went to the kitchen to make Selina a little something to eat in case she was peckish. When he returned, the bedroom door had been opened a crack and he heard barking and Selina's laughter coming from inside her room. He opened the door.<p>

"Good morning!" he said. "Darling, I brought something for you. "Where shall I put it?"

When Selina saw him, her expression darkend. Despite her broken arm and the cut in her side, she put Rusty aside, pulled off her covers, and strode toward him. "You bastard!" she screamed and punched him hard in the nose.


	31. Across the Pond

"Damn!" Klaus' head slammed back against the door. "What the hell did you do that for?"

Hearing the crash, Alistair came running. "What's going on? What happened?"

Klaus was holding his nose and struggling to stand back up. "She hit me!"

Alistair looked at Selina. "Why did you do that?"

Selina's voice was shaking. "Because that-that fucking-I can't even think of a bad enough name-_pimped me out_ to a friend of his to cover a gambling debt! If that doesn't deserve a punch in the nose, I don't know what does."

"All right," Alistair said. "Let's all calm down and talk about this."

Selina shook her head. "No. I'm going to dress, pack up my things and leave. I can't take this anymore."

"Where are you going to stay?" Alistair asked her.

Selina shrugged. "I don't know, but I'll find a place."

"Are you sure?"

Selina nodded. "Yes, Alistair."

She left for a moment, came back with her bags, and then left the room without another word. After a moment, Klaus followed her. "You don't really want to leave," he said.

Selina nodded. "Yes I do."

He put his arms around her. "No, you don't."

Selina threw him off. "Yes I do. Because I'm upset with you and I definitely don't think we should be living in the same house."

"What's the problem?" Klaus asked.

"How could you not know what the problem is?" She asked him in surprise. He said nothing and she rolled her eyes.

"Of course you don't get it," she said. "You don't notice anything that's not about you. You are the most selfish person on the planet!"

He grinned. "Well that's just silly. Have you met everyone on the planet?"

Selina glared at him. "Do you _want_ to get hit again?"

He just laughed. "You're angry with me. And you know what that means." He reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. She resisted at first and then kissed him back, quickly shoving him away once she felt his hands moving down towards her butt.

"Stop!" She snapped. "You stop that right now!"

"You don't really want me to," he said.

"Yes I do," Selina said quickly. "I really, _really_ do."

"So," he said. "Just out of curiosity, who will be replacing me in your bed while you're on this silly little strike of yours? Or are you planning on being celibate until I 'learn my lesson'?"

Selina burst out laughing. "Oh, please! That will never happen! I'll find somebody, somebody who's much better than you. So there."

She turned on her heel and left, slamming the door behind her.

"So," Alistair said once the door had closed, "you're going to go after her, aren't you?"

Klaus shook his head. "No, there's no need. The poor girl's delusional. She'll be back."

But Alistair wasn't so sure.

* * *

><p>Alistair caught up with Selina when she was down the street from Doctor Stensrund's. "Why are you doing this?" He asked. "<em>I<em> know you don't want to leave, _you_ know that you don't want to leave, so why are you?"

"It's the principle of the thing, Alistair," Selina said. "Klaus just can't keep doing things like he's doing and then getting away with it because he's good in bed. I have to be strong. I have to take a stand." She turned to face him. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No," Alistair shook his head. "I think you have a very good point."

"Thank you," Selina said, taking a deep breath. "So do I."

"How well do you think you're going to be able to stick to this plan of yours?"

"Not well," Selina admitted, blushing a little. "It's one of those things that seems good on principle, but in practice it's going to be somewhat difficult to carry out."

"Because you don't know if you'll be able to find someone who can fulfill you as well sexually," Alistair said.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Stupid Klaus."

Alistair laughed. "What if I told you that I could make it easier for you?" he asked.

"You can?" Selina asked eagerly. "What are you thinking?"

"Have you forgotten that I'm a warlock?" Alistair asked. "I can do anything."

"Wow," Selina said. "I did forget that. So, any ideas?"

He nodded. "I think what we need to do, the most important thing, is for Klaus to realize that he needs you as much as you need him. That his life would be empty without you."

"It's a nice thought," Selina said wryly. "But it's not going to take."

"You underestimate me," Alistair said.

"So you have a plan?" Selina asked. "What is it?"

"Well most obviously," Alistair told her, "We need to get you another boyfriend. Someone handsome, charming, corrupt, indestructible. The only way Klaus will be jealous is if he sees you enjoying yourself with someone just like him."

"And who are we going to find that's like Klaus, but not Klaus?" Selina asked.

"Would you be willing to suspend disbelief for a moment?" Alistair asked.

Selina nodded. "Okay..."

"Come back in the house quickly," Alistair said. "I'll show you the answer to all of our problems."

* * *

><p>He led her into the library and told her to close her eyes. "What are you going to do?" Selina asked.<p>

"Just trust me," Alistair said. "It won't be anything bad, I promise."

Selina took a deep breath. "All right." Licking her lips, she closed her eyes. Alistair went and picked a book off the bookshelf, opened it, turned to a particular page and muttered some words. All Selina knew was a flash of bright light and then pain as her head hit hard cobblestone. She opened her eyes and looked around her. She was laying in the street. It was dark, the roads lit by only a few street lamps. Clutching her head and a suitcase she found next to her, she struggled to get up. Once she was upright, she begain walking erratically around until finally she heard someone calling her.

"Miss!" He called. "Miss, are you all right?"

She turned. "Not really, I'm afraid," she said. "I seem to be lost and I've just gotten a bad bump on the head. Could you tell me where I am, please?"

The man, who was wearing the dark uniform of a constable, looked at her strangely. "You're in London, Miss," he said. "May I ask what a lady like you is doing on her own walking the streets this time of night?"

Selina looked down. She was wearing a tightly corseted red dress with a black ruffle down the front. She felt on her head. Her hat was missing. "My hat," she said. "I've lost my hat."

The constable followed her back to where she'd awakened and they located her hat, a small black number with a red ribbon around the edge and a tiny veil, nearby.

"Any idea where you belong, Miss?" The constable asked. "I'd be more than happy to take you there."

Selina shook her head. "No," she said. "Absolutely no idea."

"I know of an inn near here that has rooms available," he said. "I could take you there."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Thank you."

He led her to a hotel called the Rose and Swan and told the man at the desk to watch out for her as she'd recently had an accident and to charge the bill for her stay to him.

"Oh, but I have money," she protested.

He winked. "No trouble, Miss. A man never has much of a chance to be a knight in shining armor these days. Just doing my duty as a gentleman."

"Well thank you," Selina said. "Thank you very much."

He nodded. "Have a lovely evening, Miss."

"You too!" she called after him.

"Eh," the clerk's voice roused her and she turned back to face him. "Yes?"

"May I have your name?"

"Oh," she said. "Selina. Selina Warren."

He nodded. "Thank you. If you'll follow me, I'll take you up to your room."

"All right," Selina followed him to a nicely funished, very feminine room with a canopy bed, rosewood furniture, and white lace curtains. "I think you'll be comfortable in here, Miss Warren," he said. "If you're well enough, there's going to be a musicale later tonight, you know, singing at the piano and that sort of thing."

"That sounds lovely," Selina said. "I think I'd like to be part of that."

"Of course," the clerk placed her suitcase on the bed and left. She took a deep breath and looked around. Why, she asked herself, had Alistair sent her to London?

* * *

><p>Two hours later, she hadn't come up with any ideas, so she decided to distract herself by going downstairs and joining everyone else at the musicale. When she arrived, one man had just finished a song and was waving applause modestly away. "I'd like to go next," she called. "If that's not too much of a problem."<p>

When nobody objected she made her way to the front of the room and after leafing through her song choices, she picked one and handed it to the pianist. As the music started up, she began singing. The crowd listened politely, but a young man sitting near the stage was watching her more intently than the rest. He was handsome and wore a white flower in the buttonhole of his gray suit jacket. His hair was dark and a little long, and she felt as if his dark eyes were drilling into her.

She finished her song and hurried past him without making eye contact because something about him made her vaguely uneasy. She didn't look at him for the rest of the show, nor did she get up to sing again. He made no more moves either. After the singing was over, she went back to her room, drank the cup of cocoa that was waiting for her, undressed and then went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Around noon the next day, there was a knock on the door of her room. "Come in," she called. The door opened and the same clerk who'd helped her the night before came in. "Is something wrong?" She asked.<p>

"Oh, no," he shook his head. "Have you eaten yet, Miss?"

She shook her head. "No. Why?"

"Because," he said, "one of the other guests would like you to meet him on the terrace if its not too inconvenient."

Thinking of her admirer from the night before, Selina said, "my curiosity has been peaked. Lead me to him."

* * *

><p>He led her out to the terrace where, as she'd suspected, her admirer from the night before sat waiting at a table. When he saw her, he stood up and came around to pull the chair out for her.<p>

"Thank you," she said, settling her napkin in her lap.

"You're welcome," he said quietly and sat back down. The clerk left as soon as she was seated and the young man flagged down a waiter and asked for a bottle of wine. "White, I think," he said. Once the waiter was gone, he turned back to her. "I apologize," he said. "I know what you must be thinking. We don't even know each other and I'm inviting you for a meal. I really just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your singing last night."

"Why thank you," Selina said in surprise. "You know, you're the first person to ever express any liking for my voice. My former husband would laugh when I sang. He called my voice 'atrocious'."

The young man's expression lightened. "So you are unattached?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "My husband is dead."

He nodded. "I know what it feels like to lose someone you love. My wife committed suicide. She poisoned herself."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Selina said.

"Thank you," he said. "It was years ago, but it still haunts me every day." He took her hand. "My name is Dorian Gray."

Selina was so shocked she accidently knocked over her water glass. "Dorian Gray?" she said finally.

"Yes," he nodded. "Now won't you tell me your name? I bet it's lovely."

"Selina," she said. "Selina Warren."

"Interesting name," he said. "My wife was named Sibyl."

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Yes, she was." They sat in silence for a moment before Selina said quietly, "is it true what they say about you?"

"That depends," he said, grinning at her. "What do they say about me?"

"Did you really sell your soul to the devil for eternal youth and immortality?"

He leaned forward, a twinkle in his eye. "So what if I did? Would that scare you?"

She shook her head. "No," she said matter-of-factly. "We're not much different in that regard. I'm a vampire myself."

His eyes widened a fraction. "Is that so?" he asked. "And how is it that you came to be here? I've never seen you before."

"Oh," she said. "I'm from the outside. I'm just visiting. I haven't figured out why quite yet."

Dorian was looking intrigued. "I could help you," he said. "I could give you a reason to stay."

"I don't know about that," Selina said. "I know what you've done and you remind me a lot of the man I just semi-ended a relationship with, so..." She trailed off, looked at him and gasped. "That's it!" she burst out. "_You_ are why I'm here!"

"Am I really?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "Now the question is, what do I do with you? Maybe Alistair will give me a sign."

Just then it began to rain and thunder quite a bit. "We need to get out of the rain so we don't get soaked!" Selina cried.

"I agree," Dorian said. He took her hand and they began running back toward the hotel, when all of a sudden, another flash of lightning faded everything to black.

* * *

><p>When Selina came to again, she was in her bedroom at Doctor Stensrund's and Dorian was with her. A moment later, there was a knock at the door. "Come in," Selina called after warning Dorian to get under the bed. When he protested about how it would wrinkle his suit, she shoved him. Alistair entered. "Did you bring anyone back with you?" He asked.<p>

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Dorian Gray. Is that bad? Was I not supposed to do that?"

Alistair grinned. "On the contrary, that was exactly what you were supposed to do." He said. "Where is he?"

"I made him go under the bed," Selina said. "You know, in case it was someone...else."

Alistair grinned. "Actually, 'someone else' isn't here. He had a temper tantrum yesterday and stormed out of here. I think he's staying at Elijah's."

"So he does miss me?" Selina asked.

"At this point not just you, but female companionship in general," Alistair said. "I might have cast a spell that makes every female in this town immune to him."

Selina grinned. "No, you didn't!"

Alistair nodded. "I did. And then I put the opposite magic on me."

"So you're getting dates and he's not?" Selina trilled laughter. "That must be killing him!"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "A week with no dates. I wonder how he's handling it?"

* * *

><p>"Are you all right?" Elijah asked, coming up behind Klaus, who started violently.<p>

"No," Klaus shook his head. "If I don't get out of here soon, I think it'll be the end of me."

"Oh, come now," Elijah said. "You're exaggerating."

"No," Klaus said. "No I'm not. This is the longest I've gone without a woman since I don't know when. I've been cuddling the dog for the last week."

"What did you do to Selina now?" Elijah asked.

"It's a long story," Klaus said. "Very difficult to explain, but it was _not_ my fault. She's mad at me for no reason!"

"And she's witholding sex?" Elijah asked. "You _must_ have done something horrible."

"And I've _tried_ other women," Klaus said, ignoring Elijah. "But they're ignoring me too. It's very odd."

"So now you're reduced to staring out windows," Elijah said. "Wonderful plan."

"It's just that I saw Selina outside," Klaus said. "She was with another man."

"Is she?" Elijah asked. "After what you did, I don't blame her. Are you jealous?"

"No!" Klaus frowned. "Of course not!"

Elijah just grinned. "You are, aren't you?"

"Oh, all right," he said. "Maybe a little."

Elijah nodded. "And would you like me to tell you what you need to do to get her back? It's either that or spend the rest of your life in frustrated celibacy, brother."

Klaus sighed. "All right, what do I have to do?"

* * *

><p>Selina decided to visit her parents again. She hadn't seen them since, oh, since Aleksandr had shown up on their doorstep, probably. She winced. Her head hurt more than usual because she and Dorian had gone out drinking the night before and not come back until the wee hours. She wondered if it was too early to tell her mother about him. Or if she should tell her mother at all. What's the protocol when you're dating a character who's magically been ejected from a novel and into reality?<p>

She strode up to the mansion and her eyes caught sight of a new car in the driveway. "No," she whispered. "No, not here." She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Selina!" her mother said, getting up from the kitchen table and hurrying over to her. "Just when were you going to tell us the news?"

"What news?" She asked as her mother swept her up in a hug.

"About your new boyfriend!" her mother said. "He seems a little older than I thought you'd go for, but I have to say I approve. And since he seems to have some werewolf in him, I believe Michael would too. Finally, someone who can help you control the crazy impulses I passed on to you!"

"Yeah, right," Selina said. "Control them, of course."

"He said the two of you just had a fight," her mother continued. "But he seems more than willing to make it up to you."

"Of course I am," he said. Selina looked up and gasped. "Oh, my god."

There stood Klaus, holding a box of chocolates in one hand and a bouquet of red roses in the other.

"Wow," Selina said again. No other words would come to her.

He handed her the flowers, put the chocolates on the table, and then took her other hand. "I'm awfully sorry about our fight," he said. "I've been very lonely without you. Will you forgive me?"

Selina just stared at their joined hands, unable to speak. Forrest Gump was right, she thought. Mostly. Life is like a box of chocolates, but without the identification guide: you never know what you're going to get.


	32. Wheel and Fortune

"Well," Amelia said, "what are you waiting for?"

Selina bit her lip. "I don't know. Something, I guess."

Amelia looked at her incredulously. "More than an 'I'm sorry'?"

"Yes, Mama," Selina nodded. "Because as I have told him before, this always happens. He does something to upset me, and I just give in because, because-"

"Because what?" Amelia asked.

Selina shook her head. "Never mind. It's not important."

Klaus smirked.

"Anyway," Selina said, "I promised myself that I was going to make him learn something this time and I am."

"Oh, yes," Klaus said. "I know you're well on your way. I saw him out the window."

"Did you?" Selina asked.

He nodded. "Yes."

"Well, good." Selina said. "You thought I couldn't do it, but I did."

"What's the matter with you, Selina?" Amelia asked. "You're acting like he had ulterior motives in doing this."

Selina nodded. "Because he _did. _No woman will sleep with him, so he's sucking up to me because he's sick of being celibate." She tossed the roses in the trash. "Well, that's just not good enough."

"Well don't I _at least_ get credit for trying?" He asked. "I begged. I bought stuff for you."

Selina nodded. "Yes, you did. But money doesn't solve everything. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date to be getting to."

She left and shut the door behind her.

Amelia looked at Klaus. "Are you going to be all right?"

Klaus looked away. "I am going to_ kill _my brother."

* * *

><p>He watched the door for a few seconds and then ran out of the house to catch up to her. "Didn't you hear anything I just said?" he asked.<p>

She turned. "Yeah, I did." She kept walking.

"And that's it?" Klaus asked. "That's all you have to say?"

Selina sighed. "No, that's not _all_ I have to say, but it's all I'm going to say for now."

He frowned. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Selina sighed. "Look," she said. "We're just not working out, that's all. I seriously need to evaluate what I've been doing. Don't you get that?"

Klaus shook his head. "No."

Selina sighed. "All right, I'll just tell you. Every time you and I are..._together_, it's not just because you have amazing charismatic powers, all right? It's because I like it too. Because it feels good to me. And if you're going to exploit my feelings and use them as a way to manipulate me, then I'm more than happy to give you up. Think about that."

She began walking again, felt his eyes on her and then turned around quickly to stride back into the house, snatch up the box of chocolates and then scarf down three before carrying the rest of the box off with her. When she came out of the house, he saw her clutching the box and grinned at the sight of her puffed out cheeks. Remembering what she'd said, he resisted the impulse to kiss her.

"So you're going then?" he asked.

She swallowed. "Yes, yes I am."

He nodded. "Well, good luck with that."

"Thank you," she said.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Klaus headed back over to Elijah's. He pounded on the door for what seemed like forever before Elijah finally answered. Then Klaus strode in and immediately plowed his fist into Elijah's living room wall."<p>

"Well hello to you too," Elijah said dryly. "May I ask why you just plowed your fist into my living room wall? I had it painted yesterday."

Klaus turned to face him. "How well would you say you understand women?" He asked.

Elijah shrugged. "About as well as any other man. What's the problem? Is Selina still cutting you off after you went through all that for her?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes, so you were obviously wrong."

"Well, what did she say?" Elijah sat down on the sofa and peered at him speculatively.

"Well," Klaus sat down too. "She told me that 'we're not working out and that 'I seriously need to evaluate what I've been doing.' Direct quotes."

"Ah," Elijah nodded. "So she's having doubts about you."

Klaus pondered about whether or not to tell Elijah about the rest of it. "I don't think she's having doubts about us," he said finally. "She told me that she likes us being us, it's just that she has this crazy idea that I'm using that to manipulate her."

"And are you?" Elijah asked.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "'Manipulate' is such an ugly word," he said. "What's so wrong with making her the happiest she's ever been. I think she's just frightened and is resisting me on purpose just to prove some point."

"Have you ever told her that you have feelings for her?" Elijah asked.

Klaus shook his head. "No. Why would I do that?"

"You see," Elijah told him, "I don't think _she's_ the one who's resisting her feelings. She's acknowledged them and even told them to you when she said that she liked being with you. I suspect that's why she's trying to stay away from you. To keep herself from getting hurt because she believes you don't have the same depth of feeling for her that she does for you."

"And I don't," Klaus shook his head.

Elijah got up to look out the window. "My goodness will you look at that! Selina and another girl are standing out on the grass in t-shirts spraying each other with hoses."

Klaus' eyes widened. "What? Where? Move over and let me see!" He elbowed Elijah aside and peered eagerly out the window, frowning when he saw nothing. "Well that was mean."

Elijah grinned. "Oh, I know it was. But it just proves my point. That you have feeling for her."

Klaus nodded. "Well that way, of course. I never said that I didn't enjoy her body."

"Sit down," Elijah said. "Close your eyes."

"Why?" Klaus asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

Elijah sighed. "Just do it, Niklaus."

Klaus rolled his eyes and sat, closing his eyes.

"Alistair told me what he did with you," Elijah said. "Taking you through Selina's past. He also mentioned that when you saw Selina abused at her stepfather's hands, you tensed up. Your hands balled into fists."

Suddenly, the picture came back to Klaus: the sight of Selina crumpled into a bloody, bruised heap on the floor. He opened his eyes. "She was hurt," was all he said.

Elijah nodded. "Yes, she was. And that upset you, didn't it? To see her hurt?"

Klaus gazed at him stonily. "Maybe. Or not."

"You wanted to kill Robert Pierce, didn't you?"

Klaus sighed. "No," he said. "I was mad at myself, all right?"

"Why?" Elijah asked, surprised.

"Because," Klaus said, "around that same time, I-"

"You what?" Elijah asked. "Go ahead and say it."

"I got mad at her," Klaus said quietly, avoiding Elijah's eyes. "So mad that I broke all the bones in her body and then tossed her down the stairs where she landed in a heap, not unlike how she looked when Robert Pierece was finished with her."

"So you're feeling shame for your actions," Elijah said. "This is new for you."

"Oh, stop!" Klaus said. "Why do you have to complicat things? Why couldn't you and her just keep things how they were? That was good enough!"

"All right," Elijah said, standing up. "Enjoy sleeping alone for quite awhile."

* * *

><p>Damon was starting to get worried. He hadn't gotten any updates on Selina's progress for quite awhile. But he didn't know what to do about it. He was staying at Ric's again and that was helping. But not much.<p>

"Still no word from her?" Alaric asked.

Damon shook his head. "No."

"You need to get out," Alaric observed. "You've been sitting by the phone for days and I don't think you've seen a single person except for me."

"So what?" Damon asked.

"So," Alaric said, "going out and having a good time might help keep your mind off things. A carnival's coming to town in a few days. We should go."

"Oh, goody," Damon said. "A carnival. It'll be just the biggest thrill of my life."

"They'll have beer and stuff," Alaric assured him. "Why not go? Maybe Selina will come too and you can ask her what the hell is going on."

"Good point," Damon said. "When is this again?"

"Two days," Alaric told him. "You think you can wait that long?"

"Fine," Damon said. "What's two more days?"

* * *

><p>Finally, it was the night of the carnival. Damon and Alaric paid their admission and pushed their way through the turnstile. "So what should we do first?" Damon asked. "Cotton candy, or the merry-go-round? Take your pick."<p>

"Actually," Alaric said, "I was thinking more toward the shooting gallery. Are you going to be all right by yourself?"

"Yes," Damon nodded. "I'm not five. I can be left alone without anything bad happening."

"All right," Alaric nodded. "I just wanted to make sure."

He left and Damon began wandering around looking for something to do. He didn't feel like going on any of the rides and wasn't hungry. Finally, he waited for something to catch his eye. He wondered by the fortune telling tent and the girl standing just outside called out to him. "You look troubled," she said. "Would you care to come in and have me tell you why?"

"No," he shook his head. "I know why."

She walked toward him. When she was standing in front of him, she looked into his eyes. "You suffer," she said. "You've lost someone you love." She took his hand and looked it over. "And you're being deceived."

Damon frowned. "I am? By whom?"

She sighed. "By the one you love most. It's a shame too," she reached up and lightly touched his cheek, her blue eyes starting to tear. "You being so handsome and all."

"So Selina's deceiving me?"

"Yes," the girl nodded. "If there's anything I can do..."

Damon shoved her hand away and stalked off. There was only one thing left to do now. He had to find her and figure out what the hell was going on.

* * *

><p>Selina made her way toward the ferris wheel. She didn't feel like doing anything too intense tonight. She climbed into a car by herself and waited for the ride to begin, but was joined seconds later, to her dismay.<p>

"What are _you_ doing here?" Selina asked.

"I just came out to enjoy the evening," Klaus said.

Selina scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"Why are you always so suspicious of me?" He asked.

"Because," Selina said.

"Because why?" Klaus asked. "Would it hurt you to trust me just this once?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Yes it would."

Then the ferris wheel started moving. It climbed higher and higher until they were at the very top. Then the car began to shake and Selina screamed. She _really_ hated heights.

Klaus watched her, amusement in his eyes. "You know," he said, "you can hang on to me if you're nervous."

Selina was shaking. "Oh, no. Oh, God, no."

Then, they heard a noise. "What was that?" Selina asked. "Are we going to die?"

Just then, a voice came over the loudspeaker: "Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. We are experiencing techinical difficulties and will be starting up again as soon as possible."

The car kept shaking.

"Come here," Klaus said, holding his arms out. "You know you want to."

Selina's eyes were squeezed shut and every muscle in her body was tight. "No, no, no!"

Klaus ignored her and took her into his arms. "Relax, darling," he said. "Relax."

Her eyes opened. She took a deep breath.

"See?" he said, kissing her hair. "This isn't so bad, is it?"

Slowly, she began to relax.

"Good," she said. "Good."

She looked up. "I still hate you," she said.

Then, she kissed him, throwing her arms around his neck.

Then, he pulled off her sweatshirt and began running his hands over her breasts.

She pulled away, her eyes wide. "No," she said. "No!"

He took her in his arms again. "Yes!"

She breathed heavily. "No. I don't love you, I don't want you!"

She kissed him again and pulled away. "Damn it, when is this damn ferris wheel going to start up agan!"

"Who knows?" Klaus asked. "Do you really care?"

"Yes!" Selina nodded. "Yes, I do!"

The ferris wheel started up again, and when the ride was over, Klaus followed her off. "So," he said, "Tunnel of Love next?"

Selina glared at him. "No."

"Just think," he said. "You, me, alone in total darkness...and since we'll be sitting in a boat, we'll be in a better position to..."

He ran his hand down her back, placing it firmly on her butt.

She breathed. "Oh, God." But she didn't reach back to move his hand.

With his other hand, he pulled her to him, kissing her. "So," he said when he pulled away, "We can do this in public or in the dark. Take your pick."

"Tell me something," Selina asked him. "Why do you always do this? Doesn't it _ever_ get old?"

"Touching you? Kissing you?" he shook his head. "No."

"If you're trying to butter me up," she said, "it's not working."

He grinned. "Think how slippery you'd be if I did that."

Selina rolled her eyes.

"So are we going on the ride or not?" Klaus asked. He began rubbing her neck.

"O-okay," she finally got out.

He grinned.

They reached the ride and she looked at the little boats and then back at Klaus. "I hate you," she said. "How is it that I can vow to stay away from you in the morning, but I can't even keep the vow a day?"

"I don't see why you do that to yourself," he said. "Why would you deny yourself something that clearly makes you happy?"

"You don't care about me being happy," Selina said. "You don't care about me at all. You just like taking advantage of me!"

"Why do you have to make things so complicated?" he asked her. "Why can't we just have fun?"

Selina scoffed and began walking away. "I don't believe you," she said. "Thank you so much for making this be the first of many nights that you are _not_ going to see me naked."

She strode away and found herself across from the fortune telling tent. "You look troubled," the girl called. "Would you like to come in and have me tell you why?"

Selina looked up. "I know why. What I need to know is a way to make it better."

The girl nodded. "Come inside."

Selina followed the girl into the tent and sat down across from her. The girl took Selina's hand.

"Oh, dear," the girl said. "Man trouble. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Seems like you have two choices: one you feel passion for, the other you feel comfortable with, but your feelings are waning."

"What do you suggest?" Selina asked.

The girl took the veil off of her face. "I say go with the guy who jumps your bones all the time. You need it! And I'll take the other one. I've had my eye on him for years!"

Selina gasped and pulled her hand away. "Oh, God. Margaret, is that you?"


	33. The Best Laid Plans

"Yeah," Margaret grinned. "It's me. You didn't think I was going to stay away forever, did you?"

"Actually," Selina said, "I kind of hoped you would."

Margaret rolled her eyes. "Still the same girl, I see. You haven't really changed at all."

Selina nodded. "Oh, yes I have! In every possible way."

"Oh, yes," Margaret nodded. "That's why I'm sure you told Damon you aren't attracted to him anymore?"

"No," Selina groaned. "I haven't told him that yet."

"That's okay," Margaret said. "I did it. It was written all over his palm."

"Oh, please," Selina scoffed. "That doesn't mean anything. All you do is cheap theatrics. Just like your father."

Margaret glared at her. "Moving on," she said. "So who _is_ that guy you're with?" She asked.

"He's no one," Selina said. "No one at all."

Margaret snatched up her hand and began tracing the lines of Selina's palm with her finger. "He certainly doesn't seem like no one," she said. "Apparently he's dark, powerful...and studly." She grinned. "So is he good in bed, or not?"

Selina cleared her throat. "I wouldn't know."

Margaret burst out laughing. "Of course you do! I mean look at yourself. Someone's been giving you some lately. I think I'll go ask him myself." She left the entrance to the tent and sprinted toward where Klaus was standing. Selina ran after her. "No, Margaret! Come back, for god's sake!"

Margaret turned. "A-ha! So you _have_ been sleeping with him."

Selina sighed. "Yeah, I have. But I'm going to stop. He's no good for me. What we have isn't healthy."

Margaret nodded. "And neither are chocolate chip cookies, but I have yet to see you turn down eating a dozen of _those_ in one sitting."

"It's not the same thing," Selina said through her teeth.

"Wow," Margaret watched her. "This guy's got you really worked up, doesn't he?"

Selina nodded. "How can you tell?"

"Would you like to know what _I _think?" Margaret asked.

"No," Selina shook her head.

"I think," Margaret said, pointedly ignoring her, "that this guy is the best damn thing that could happen to you, but you don't want to admit it because you're scared or have some freakish aversion to letting yourself be happy."

"And," Selina countered, "there's the fact that he's self-centered, cold, and freakishly evil."

Margaret grinned. "Oh, excuses, excuses."

"Maybe you should date him," Selina said. "Your standards for male companionship are relatively low."

"I'm still with Nick," Margaret said.

"Oh, yes," Selina said. "The magnificent Mr. Crowne. That wonderfully loving paragon of virtue."

"He got us a beach house," Margaret said.

"Why would you need another one?" Selina asked. "Have you gotten sick of the one you killed your first husband for?"

"No," Margaret shook her head. "I still have that one. It was one of my greatest triumphs."

Selina nodded. "Of course it was. Convincing him that he was a vampire so he'd keep himself in that coffin of his all day and eventually suffocate...that was genius."

"Hey," Margaret shrugged. "Whatever works, right?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "You know, you're a real peach."

They came in sight of Klaus again and Margaret put her hand in the center of Selina's back and began pushing her towards him.

"Wait, no, stop!" Selina resisted. "What are you doing?"

"I want to meet him," Margaret said. "And _you_ are going to introduce me."

"You're not going to let this go until I do, are you?" Selina asked.

Margaret shook her head. "No. I'm also not going to let it go until you do something to lighten up. The Tunnel of Love has had fairly light business all night. Why don't you go? I'll even keep Damon out of the way for you."

Selina shook her head. "Honestly, that's the last thing I need: me and him alone together in the dark, his hands caressing me..."

She stopped. Sensations began washing over her. She took a deep breath. Closed her eyes...

"Are you all right?" Margaret asked. "Why did you stop?"

Selina opened her eyes. "Oh," she said quickly. "Nothing."

"Right," Margaret nodded. "Nothing."

"It really was!" Selina cried.

"If it was nothing," Margaret told her, placing her hand in the center of Selina's back, "you wouldn't sound so defensive."

Selina kept quiet until they reached Klaus.

"Hi," he said. "Where'd you run off to?"

"Nowhere," Selina said.

"Who's your friend?"

"Actually," Margaret said, nudging Selina aside a little, "I'm not her friend. I'm her sister."

"Really?" Klaus looked at Selina. "You didn't tell me you had other siblings."

"Well," Margaret said, "she doesn't really like to _talk _about me. See, the only reason why I'm here is because her mother had an affair with my father."

"He was a hypnotist at a carnival not unlike this one," Selina said, wrinkling her nose.

"Yes, well, regardless of that, they had several lovely evenings together, and here I am."

Selina snorted. "Wow."

Margaret cleared her throat. "You know," she said to Klaus, "Selina mentioned that the Tunnel of Love has had slow business all day. I think she wants go on it with you."

Selina's eyes widened. "Margaret, my god!"

"I'd love to," Klaus grinned.

"Don't listen to her," Selina said quickly. "She's making stuff up."

"You mean," he said, putting his arms around her, "you really don't want to?" He caressed her cheek. She shivered.

"Well..." He began nibbling on her ear. "Maybe just this once."

He picked her up and carried her off as Margaret winked at him and headed back to the fortune telling tent.

* * *

><p>"All right," Selina huffed when they reached the ride. "You can put me down now. I'm perfectly capable of walking the rest of the way."<p>

"Oh, darling," Klaus said. "You really need this, don't you? So tense, so angry..."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "And it's all your fault!"

He nodded. "Of course it is. It always is. Well, allow me to make up for a _host_ of alleged grievances." He put her down and indicated that she should precede him inside. "Ladies first."

Selina rolled her eyes and stomped inside.

He followed, amused. He had no idea why making her angry amused him so much. It just did. She got into the swan boat and he sat beside her.

"We're going to do this," she said, "but you are _not_ going to touch me. Understand?"

He ran his fingers lightly through her hair. "In all my years of experience," he said, "I have never met anyone who needs to be touched as much as you."

She gasped. Turning slightly, she faced him. Then she leaned forward and her lips met his. He slowly peeled off her shirt and she moaned. He put his lips on her stomach and ran his tongue around her bellybutton a couple of times

She moaned and squirmed.

"Patience," he whispered. "Patience."

She whimpered as he unbuttoned her jeans and pulled the zipper down. He kissed her again and ran his hands over her breasts.

She was breathing heavily now. "What are you waiting for?" She asked.

He grinned and lay her down, pulled her jeans and panties off, unzipped his own pants and then slowly entered her.

"You like this, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. A flush was creeping over her cheeks. He kissed her again and shifted a little, making her squeal.

"Shirt off," she breathed. "It's only fair."

He grinned. "Oh, all right."

He took off his shirt and she squealed again, reaching up to run her hands over his abs.

He grinned and drove into her deeper. Finally, she had her release. She was sweaty, flushed and panting. He pulled himself out of her. "Just in time too," he said. "I see the light at the end of the tunnel."

She swallowed and they both began dressing again and by the time the boat was out of the tunnel, he had his arm around her and her head was against her shoulder. No one suspected a thing.

* * *

><p>They got out of the boat and had just walked a little ways away when it started to pour.<p>

"Oh, jeez," Selina cried. "And I didn't bring a coat!"

"The car's this way," Klaus said. "I'll drive you back to the house and you can dry off."

By the time they reached the car, every bit of both of them was dripping. "I could sit in the front," Selina said. "I see there's stuff in the back and I wouldn't want to get anything wet..."

He stared at her. Her wet clothes were plastered to her body and he could clearly make out all her curves. "No," he said. "I could move the stuff to the trunk. It might be best if you sit in back."

"Oh," Selina said. "Okay." She moved a straggling strand of black hair out of her eyes and waited for him to move the papers into the trunk and then she climbed inside. He stared at her all the whle and had to resist a strong impulse to reach out and grab her butt. Once her door was closed, he got in the driver's seat and they were off.

* * *

><p>When they arrived back at Doctor Stensrund's, Klaus parked in the garage and Selina ran inside. He followed her. "I think I want to shower," she said. "I don't like being covered in rain water."<p>

"I could join you," he said. "Help you out a little? You know you'll be thinking about me anyway."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I can manage by myself. But I _do _feel sorry for you. Being down here all alone, while I'm upstairs covering my naked body with hot, soapy water..." She leaned up close to his ear, her lips touching the lobe. "...Rubbing the loofah everywhere so I can be thoroughly clean...I think you'll be thinking of _me_ while I'm in the shower. I'll have other things to focus on."

And giggling at the incredulous look on his face, not to mention his very stiff posture, she ran upstairs, leaving him alone at the landing.

While she was in the shower, a particularly big clap of thunder blew the power out. The entire house was plunged into darkness.

Although she was still somewhat soapy, Selina turned the water off and groped around for a towel, putting it on and fastening it securely. Then, she made her way out of the bathroom to see if she could find Klaus. However, when she got to the top of the stairs, she stubbed her toe and fell head over heels, screaming as her body hit every step and landing in a crumpled heap at the bottom.

"Selina?" Klaus called. "Selina, are you all right?"

"No," Selina called weakly. "Ow, I fell down the stairs..."

He turned on a flashlight and went looking for her.

"Are you going to be able to stand up?" he asked when he finally found her.

"I don't know," she said. "I think..."

He picked her up again and carried her to the living room that was full of lit candles. "Wow, she said. "It's beautiful."

He sighed, setting her down on the sofa. "When I was a boy, the servants would tell stories about darkness. That was when the demons came out, they said. "Lit candles were the only thing that kept them away."

She sighed. "What are you trying to tell me?"

He looked away. "Just that you're...safe."

"Thank you," she told him.

He nodded. "I could get you something else to wear," he said. "If you wanted."

"But my clothes are soaked," she said. "And I don't have any others."

"Just a minute," he told her. He left and returned a few minutes later carrying one of his button down shirts. "Try this," he said. "I know it's not much, but at least it's dry."

She nodded and took it to the bathroom by the kitchen. He stood by the bathroom door. She emerged a few minutes later. His shirt fit her like a minidress.

They sat on the sofa, staring at the candles in silence. Then he scooted closer to her. He kissed her. When she kissed back, he deepened the kiss and began working with the buttons on the shirt.

Roughly, she pushed him away. "I don't believe you!" she snapped. "You lull me into this sense of security only to...to..." she growled. "I'm disgusted with myself, I really am. I hate myself, I hate you, and I hate whatever it is that we're doing!"

"But-" Klaus said. At that point the power suddenly came back on. Selina blew out all the candles and unbuttoned the shirt, throwing it on the floor.

"What are you going to wear?" Klaus asked. "You can't walk around outside with nothing on."

"I'll go upstairs and get what I was wearing before my shower," she said. "I don't want anyting else from you."

He didn't say another word. She went upstairs and dressed and then as she was leaving, Alistair came in the door.

"What happened here?" he asked. "Did things not go well?"

"Ask him," Selina said, looking at Klaus. "He's the one who wrecked it."

She left and slammed the door hard behind her.

Alistair went into the living room and found Klaus rubbing the shirt against his cheek. "She's not coming back, is she?" He asked.

"No," Alistair shook his head. "Despite all my hard work. You better enjoy cuddling with that shirt because that's all you're going to have of her for a very long time, I'm afraid."


	34. True Bliss

Selina burst into the front door of the boardinghouse. "I could not hate my life any more than I do right now."

Margaret looked up from the sofa. "Don't tell me you left again."

Selina shrugged. "I didn't have any other choice, did I?"

"Yes," Margaret nodded. "You could have stayed." She picked up a plate that was nearby and offered it to Selina. "Cookie?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. You're really funny, you know that?"

Margaret moved the plate away but not before Selina snatched three and shoved them in her mouth.

"Okay," Margaret said. "After you're done swallowing, tell me what the problem is. I mean the guy's hot, he likes you, and you clearly have a thing for him!"

Selina swallowed and reached for another cookie. "Yeah, but he's _evil._ He's killed a ton of people and..."

"And you've killed people too, so that's not an issue," Margaret finished. "Now focus. What's the _real _problem?"

Selina sighed. "I'm afraid that if I give in, if I let myself care about him, he'll leave me just like every other guy I've been with."

Margaret nodded. "There we go. There it is."

"And I've seen his past," Selina said. "He told his brother he doesn't believe in love."

"That was in the past," Margaret said. "People change. Have you ever tried opening up to him?"

Selina shook her head. "No."

"Just do it," Margaret said. "If not now, at some point eventually. You'll be glad you did."

Selina shook her head. "I don't know..."

"What do you want out of your relationship with him?" Margaret asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Margaret said, "do you want it to be deep and serious or do you just want to have fun? I don't think you really know yet and _that_'s why you always run away."

"I do _so_ know what I want," Selina said. "I want to be loved. That's what I want."

Margaret nodded. "Obviously. Do you think you can be loved _without_ being in a long-term relationship?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I don't think that's possible."

Margaret cleared her throat. "We've known each other for a long time and you've always had two sides to your personality, or at least I've seen it that way: the part of you that was on display when you were human, wanting to break rules and just be wild and crazy, but still adhering somewhat to mommy's strict rules and values about what a relationship is or isn't. That's why you feel you need a long-term, fully committed relationship to be loved."

Selina smirked. "And what would _you_ know about long-term committed relationships?"

Margaret grinned. "Enough to know that I don't want to be in one. And neither does the part of you that you discovered after you left Mystic Falls for Paris and the art colony. There, nobody was in long-term relationships. It was very freeing for you because you could be with whomever you wanted sexually and no one would say anything."

Selina frowned. "So? What does that have to do with what I'm going through now?" Selina asked.

"Oh, it has everything to do with what you're going through now," Margaret said. "You aren't used to being in long-term committed relationships despite the fact that that's what you hold as the romantic ideal. It's something you want to aspire to, but it's not something you _actually_ want right now."

Selina looke up at her. "Oh, my god. You're right. If the relationship I have isn't long-term and committed, but instead only about sex, then it won't _matter_ if he leaves cause I can always get another one. I'm never going to be hurt again!"

Margaret smiled. "Exactly! So are you going to go see him?"

Selina sighed. "No, I think I'll give it a few days. I have to have time to wrap my mind around this."

* * *

><p><em>He was on the beach, sitting in the sand. They had come back to the island. It was a good idea. He sat on the beach looking out at the crystal blue water. Then, suddenly the waves began to foam and froth and like Venus rising from the sea, Selina appeared out of the water, every inch of her beautiful body dripping. She shook out her hair and came to join him on the sand. "Hey," she said. "Miss me?"<em>

_He grinned and threw her down so that she was on her back. She giggled. "I guess that's a yes." He kissed her and ran his hands lightly over her body, her gasps and moans sending shivers of desire through him. They rolled around for awhile, and when they were out of breath, they lay there beside one another. Then, she stood up, her body covered with sand._

_"I'm going to go wash this off," she said. "I assume you want to come with me?" She took off running and he finally caught her under a nearby waterfall. She squealed as the water hit her body, washing all the sand away. They began splashing each other and he finally held her against a rock, anchoring her. They kissed again, much deeper this time. He wanted her so much..._

_Then out of nowhere, a bowl of fruit appeared on the rock: pineapples, mangoes and cherries. Selina picked up a slice of pineapple and stuck it in her much, sucking on it slowly, pulling it out of her mouth and then putting it back in, over and over again..._

Klaus woke up with a gasp, picking his head up off his pillow. He'd fallen asleep with the shirt Selina had worn before she'd left underneath his cheek. He stared at it and then picked it up and rubbed it against his cheek again. He noticed that her scent was beginning to fade. He put the shirt back down on his pilow and went into their bathroom, glad she'd left her perfume bottles behind. He grabbed the one she used most and sprayed it twice, waiting for it to dry before putting the shirt to his nose and inhaling deeply. There, that was _much _better.

He moved to put it down on the bed again, but like he had every day for the last week, he picked it up and carried it to the kitchen instead. When he reached the kitchen, he stopped short. Elijah and Alistair were sitting at the kitchen table staring at him.

"Good morning," Alistair said.

Klaus quickly wadded up the shirt and put it behind his back, hoping they wouldn't see it.

"Still carrying your little friend around, I see," Alistair said. "Is there anything you want to tell us?"

Klaus laughed. "No, of course not. I'm _fine._ I was just going to put this in the laundry basket, that's all."

Alistair and Elijah looked at one another. "Okay," Elijah said, standing up. "I think we need to have a talk, regardless of whether you think you need one or not. Niklaus, you have a problem!"

Klaus laughed. "No, I don't. What problem?"

"The fact that ever since Selina left you've been carrying around that shirt and you haven't let it out of your sight," Alistair said.

"Why are you doing that?" Elijah asked.

"I think I know why," Alistair told him. "That's the last thing Selina wore before she left. I think he misses her."

Klaus shook his head. "I do not. She can move _far _away and I won't even care."

"Of course not," Elijah said. "You'll have your shirt."

He and Alistair both chuckled.

Klaus turned. "You two think you're so funny, but you aren't."

"I'm sorry," Alistair said. "Did we hit a nerve?"

Klaus said nothing, but stalked off.

"I think we did," Alistair said. He got up and followed Klaus to his room. "So what's really going on?" he asked. "You can't deny that you miss her."

Klaus nodded. "Yes, I do, I said it, all right? Are you happy now?" He threw the shirt aside, fell back on his bed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know _why_ she had to go and leave like that. I was being good!"

"Did you inadvertantly do something you shouldn't?" Alistair asked.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "That's a moot point. I've pretty much done everything to her that a person can do to another person so I don't see what the problem is."

The door opened. Elijah entered. "Here you are," he said. "Where have we gotten to?"

"He's upset about Selina leaving the other night," Alistair said. "And he's venting."

"Of course I'm venting!" Klaus cried. "I didn't even touch her at all, even when I sorely wanted to. At least not until before she left, that is."

"Well, why do you think she would leave all of a sudden?" Alistair asked. "There has to be a reason."

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know."

"Remember when I showed you her life?" Alistair asked. "How every relationship she's ever been in, every man that's been in her life, had disappointed her somehow?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes..."

"Well maybe she's looking for a relationship that's about more than just sex," Alistair said. "Are you following me?"

"Yes," Klaus said gloomily. "That's probably why she keeps wanting me to tell her stuff about myself. So we can 'connect.'"

"And you don't feel you can give her that?" Elijah said.

"I don't feel I shoud have to," Klaus said. "She knew when we started this not to expect anything deep."

"You started this because you want her to bear your children," Elijah said. "How is that not deep?"

"It just isn't," Klaus said.

Alistair locked eyes with him. "Did it hurt you when she left like that?"

"What?" Klaus asked. "No, of course not. Like I said, she could move _far_ away and I wouldn't care."

Elijah looked at Alistair. "Isn't denial a sad thing?"

Alistair nodded. "Especially in this case."

"All right," Klaus sighed. "I won't deny that I'm angry at her for leaving when I was trying so hard to behave."

"What wrecked it?" Alistair asked. "You tried to sleep with her again, didn't you?"

"What's wrong with that?" Klaus asked. "We did it before."

Alistair thought a moment. "Maybe it's not_ what_ you did, but _when _you did it. You're saying that up until that time, the two of you had had a pretty, shall we say...nonphysical evening?"

Klaus nodded.

"Well, maybe Selina was getting comfortable with that and having a good time, and the sex cheapened the good time. Maybe she left because she thought the only reason you were being good was so you'd get to sleep with her again later." Alistair shrugged. "I don't know."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Klaus complained. "It's not like I'm some rapscallion and she's a damsel in distress. WE HAVE SEX ALL THE TIME! And she's no angel herself."

"Well I don't know what to tell you then," Alistair said. "You'll have to ask her if you want any straight answers."

* * *

><p><em>The carriage creaked along the dark, foggy roads as she stared morosely out the window. She was bored. Why didn't anything exciting ever happen? Suddenly, a jolt threw her to the floor. When she sat up again, she could hear voices talking to the coachman. "Give me your gold, give me your valuables."<em>

_"But I don't have any," the coachman's voice was shaking. "We're just trying to get to London."_

_" 'We?'" The voice, masculine yet light, rose. "Who else have you got in there?" He came around and yanked the carriage door open. "Well, well, well," he said. "Look what we have here. And the coachmen said he wasn't carrying anything valuable." Without waiting for an invitation, he got into the carriage. He stared at her, his eyes roaming her body. "Hello, there, Beauty," he said. "What's your name?"_

_Her heart was pounding with excitement. She had no idea what he was going to do with her. But she couldn't wait to find out._

_"Selina," she said. "May I ask what you plan to do with me since you've commandeered my carriage?"_

_He didn't answer her. Instead, he put his arms around her waist and his lips on hers. She wondered if she should struggle a little. Yes, perhaps. She might get more out of this if she seemed less than willing._

_Reluctantly, she pulled away. "No, no!" She cried. "Stop! Unhand me!"_

_"No!" he cried, laughing and taking her in his arms again, this time ripping her dress off and then using a knife to slice apart her corset. "You're mine now." He put his hand over her mouth and whispered close to her ear. "Now pay close attention, darling. We've killed your coachman, and now I'm going to take you away."_

_Her eyes were wide. "You are?"_

_He nodded. "Yes. To a place where no one will ever find you."_

_She nodded._

_All the way there, he made love to her, and when they finally pulled up the front drive of his house, he made a small effort to cover her up and then carried her inside to a bedroom with crystal and heavy wood furnishings. He lay her down on the bed, uncovered her, and then tied her up._

_"You can't move," he said. "Does that scare you?"_

_"Yes," she said, her voice shaking. "Just let me go, please."_

_He undressed and then ran his tongue over her body taking extra time with her breasts. Then, she squirmed as he entered her, feeling a pleasure she'd never felt before...this was what true bliss felt like..._

Selina opened her eyes. She needed something. She was breathing heavily and was hot all over. That was the last time she slept naked when she was alone. She dressed quickly and then got in her car and drove over to Doctor Stensrund's. Nobody seemed to be home. That was good. She parked the car and went inside, sneaking to thier bedroom where she began to rifle through the drawerers looking for the perfect souvenir to take back with her. When she found nothing in the drawerers, she moved on to the closet. "Aha," she said to herself. "This will be perfect!" It was a leather jacket. He'd only just bought it, but when she inhaled, she could smell him, although barely. She'd have to spray some of his cologne on it if she was going to do this properly. She headed into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. As she rifled through the bottles on his counter, she heard the bedroom door open, she heard him call out to Alistair.

"Oh, shit," she whipered to herself. She hung the jacket on the robe rack and then went to hide in the shower. It was a shower/bath combo so she would easily be hidden by the curtain. She pulled the curtain shut and waited for him to go away. But it got worse. He came into the bathroom.

"Oh, god," she breathed. "Please go away, please go away."

She saw his silhouette as he approached the shower. He reached in and turned the faucet on so water fell from the showerhead. She screamed. Then, he pulled the curtain open and she found herself face to face with him. He was naked of course. "Hi," she said.

He didn't miss a beat. "Hello, darling," he said. "You know, most people undress before they shower. Would you like some help?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I didn't come here for that. I came for your jacket. I noticed it had a hole in it and I thought I'd sew it up for you."

He grinned. "Really?"

She groaned. "No. It's cause I'm weak, see, and I wanted..."

"Oh, I know what you wanted," he said. "And I, of course, will be more than happy to give it to you."

She was breathing heavily again. He undressed her slowly and grabbed a bar of soap, lathering up a sponge. He ran it over her, starting down her neck, her shoulders, arms, stomach, legs. He kissed every single part afterwards. She moaned and threw her arms around him. He picked her up and entered her as she bit his neck. Yes, this was what true bliss felt like...


	35. Dedicated to the One I Love

Finally, Selina pulled away. "Oh, god."

Klaus grinned. "So I take it...you're spending the night then?"

Selina kissed him again. "Why wait until tonight?"

They gazed at each other in silence a moment before he put her down and they ran for the bed.

"And don't worry, darling," Klaus said. "We're alone, so nobody will hear you scream."

* * *

><p>Eventually she sat up again, breathing hard. "Wow," she said. "Usually when we finish, I feel this queer mixture of pleasure and shame."<p>

"Why's that?" He asked, kissing her neck.

She moaned and then shrugged. "I...don't...know." She turned and kissed him again.

"So," he said. "Not making a quick exit this time, I see."

"Why would I do that?" She asked as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Because you always do," he said.

"Oh, that," she laughed uneasily. "Well, you don't want me to be too available do you? Thrill of the chase and all?"

He stopped kissing her. "Well, yes there's that, but..."

"But what?" Selina asked.

He sighed. "But, um...uh, nothing, absolutely nothing at all."

"Oh," Selina said. "Okay." She knew he was hiding something, holding something back, but if it was what she thought it was, every magazine article on male-female relationships that she'd ever read had told her not to push it.

Instead, she said, "I've made you be open with me about things. Now I think I should be open with you. There's a specific reason why I leave all the time after we...and you're going to think it's _really_ stupid, I mean hey, I even kinda do, but um, the reason why I leave afterward is that I-I just don't think you're as drawn to me as I am to you."

"What?" He asked, his eyes wide. "What would make you think that?"

Selina shrugged. "See? Stupid, right?"

"But why?" He asked.

"_Because_," Selina said, "I'm the one who always comes back first when we 'break up.' You never do, so I guess that just makes me feel-"

He kissed her, cutting her off. "Stop talking and let me show you how ridiculous you're being."

Selina nodded. "Okay."

* * *

><p>"Wow," Selina said after waking up again. She looked at the clock. "I've gotta go! I'm going to be late!"<p>

"Go where?" Klaus asked. "What's the rush?"

Selina shrugged. "Just...out to see people, you know. See what's going on _outside_ this house. I'm sure things are, but we wouldn't know about them being stuck in here like we are all the time."

He gave her a look. "You're running away _again_?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "This isn't running away. This is having a life outside this house. Don't you want me to have a life outside this house?"

"Well, yes," he nodded. "I suppose."

"And what about you?" She pressed. "How long has it been since you actually did what you do? This whole thing is screwing both of us up. We're out of control! We're no better than animals."

"But we _are_ animals," he said. "But intelligent ones who can operate video equipment."

Selina rolled her eyes. "I'm going to go now," she said.

"But why?" He asked. "If you leave, I'll have nothing to do all day."

Just then, Rusty bounded into the room. "Yes, you do," Selina said, picking him up. "You can bond with Rusty."

Just then the phone rang. Selina went to answer it and came back to the bedroom and held it out to Klaus. "Let me rephrase that," she said. "You can either take care of Rusty or go help your mother plan our wedding. Take your pick."

"Why do _I _have to go?" Klaus whined. "Planning weddings is girl stuff!"

"Yeah?" Selina said. "Well your mother tried to kill me with a poison apple. I don't want to go near her!"

Klaus shook his head. "Actually, it wasn't a poison apple. It just made you a sleepy nymphomaniac."

"Yeah," Selina said. "Like that's any better."

"If you went you would probably be able to pick your own dress this time," he said in a sing-songy tone. "Remember the dress Mother picked for you when she was left to her own devices?"

Selina scoffed. "That wasn't a dress. That was a circus tent."

"Exactly," Klaus said. "Why would you want to risk having to wear another one?"

Selina frowned. "This is a bad time to make a good point," she said and stomped off to her car to go meet Klaus' mother.

* * *

><p>Selina arrived at the house where Klaus' mother was staying and rang the doorbell. A few minutes later, his mother came and answered it. "Where's Niklaus?" She asked. "I thought he was coming, or coming too."<p>

Selina shrugged. "I tried to get him to, but he said it was 'girl stuff.' You can't say I didn't try."

"I suppose," Elissavetta said.

"Now what's this about us getting married again?" Selina asked.

"'Again'?" Elissavetta repeated, looking surprised. "The two of you are actually married now?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "That's what we did after we left the wedding you planned for us."

Elissavetta's eyes narrowed. "And just what was wrong with what I planned? It would have been a _beautiful_ ceremony. At least until my husband and horrible sons showed up," she said sourly.

"Everything was wrong with the wedding you planned, to put it bluntly," Selina said. "You didn't let us have any input at all! And that dress you picked out for me? Ugh."

"Oh, and where was it that you and Niklaus decided to get married?" She asked.

"We sailed to a tropical island," Selina said. "I'm sure the ceremony was lovely, but honestly, I don't remember much of it."

"Probably drunk at the time," Elissavetta said dismissively.

"That's undeniably true," Selina nodded. "Both of us were."

"And who married you?" Elissavetta asked.

"The chief of the tribe who lived on the island," Selina said.

"Stop talking ridiculous," Elissavetta told her. "As far as I'm concerned, you and Niklaus aren't married."

"Oh?" Selina said. "And why is that?"

"Because," Elissavetta said, "I didn't get to see it. You will not be considered married until you have a wedding that meets my standards."

"Wow," Selina said. "Way to roar, momzilla."

"I think you're forgetting who you're dealing with," Elissavetta said. "Things _will_ happen as I say."

"And what if they don't?" Selina asked.

"They will," Elissavetta said. "Because no one has ever successfully defied me before, and I am certainly not going to start a pattern now."

* * *

><p>"So," Klaus said. "How did things go with my mother?"<p>

"Well," Selina said. "Apparently, you and I are getting married on Saturday because your mother didn't get to see it the first time. She wants us to recreate it."

"How can we recreate something we only vaguely remember?" Klaus asked.

"Oh," Selina said. "We're not _literally_ recreating what we did on the island, no. That would be too much for your mother's fragile, delicate sensibilities. No, we get to have a wedding that meets _her_ standards, including me wearing another version of the circus tent dress."

"We could always elope again," he said.

"No," Selina said, coming to sit next to him. He began rubbing her back. "She's going to be watching us like a hawk this time. We aren't going to be able to get away."

"We'll think of something, don't worry," Klaus said. "As long as Mother presently thinks she's getting her way, that'll buy us some time."

The doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Klaus said.

Selina nodded. "That might be best. It's your mother coming to move in with us to make sure we don't 'defile each other' before the wedding."

Klaus turned. "Excuse me," he said. "Did I just hear you say that you and I aren't going to be having any sex until after the wedding? How the hell did that happen?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "I don't know. I might've said some things I shouldn't have. She was pissing me off, so sue me."

"Oh, wonderful job, darling," he said as he put a shirt and pants on and left the room.

* * *

><p>Even from the library, Elijah could hear the thunderous pounding on the front door. Putting his book down, he went to see who it was, although he figured it was probably Niklaus seeking refuge because he and Selina had had another fight. When he opened the front door, he was surprised to find<em> both<em> of them staring back at him.

"Yes?" He asked calmly. "What's happened now?

"Well," Klaus said angrily, "ask her. She started it. This is all her fault!"

Elijah turned to Selina. "What did you do?"

Selina glared at him. "I pissed off _Mommy_ and now she's moved in with us!"

"You made our mother angry?" Elijah asked. "Why did you do that?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Why did you do that?"

"Because," Selina said, her voice shaking, "I have been around women like her all my life and every single one of them has rubbed me the wrong way. I don't see why you thought _your _mother was going to be any different."

"Because she could snap you in half like a twig?" Klaus asked.

"Apparently she figured out that death was too good for me and that there were better punishments," Selina said.

"Oh, yes," Klaus nodded. "And now she's punishing _both _of us."

"Why would Mother want to move in with you?" Elijah asked.

"Because," Klaus said through his teeth, "she wants to make sure we don't 'defile each other' before the wedding!"

"Wait a minute," Elijah said. "Isn't that all the two of you do?"

"Mostly," Klaus said. "So you can see why I'm upset!"

"Hey," Selina looked around. "You've

got a lot of extra room. Could we maybe do it here, Elijah?"

"No!" Elijah said. "Of course not, this is my house!"

"It's not, actually," Selina said. "You just stay here."

Elijah sighed. "Yes, but still..."

"Either that or we channel our sexual energy some other way," Klaus said.

"Well that's what you're going to have to do," Elijah said. "Let this be a learning experience for you."

"Fine," Selina said. "But may I say that you aren't any fun?"

"Not everybody can be," Elijah said. "Good day you two."

"But-" Selina said.

Elijah shook his head. "I said good day."

Klaus looked at Selina. "I guess that means all we can do is go home." He frowned at Elijah. "Thank you for nothing, brother."

Elijah nodded. "You _will_ thank me for it in the end," he said. "Say hello to Mother for me."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. Rub it in."

* * *

><p>Elissavetta greeted them at the door with a shrill "Where in the world were you? I specifically told you that the two of you weren't allowed to go out together."<p>

"Well," Selina said, "Just because you tell us something doesn't mean we have to listen."

"You get in the car," Elissavetta snapped. "We're almost late for your dress fitting!"

"Why would we have to do that?" Selina asked. "We didn't fit the circus tent you bought me before."

"Well, maybe I decided to do things differently this time," Elissavetta said. She then shoved Selina out the door and into the car to drive to the dress shop.

* * *

><p>When they arrived at the store, they went inside and were met by three sales people who brought out dresses for Elissavetta rather than Selina's perusal. The first one Selina didn't even know why they brought out. It didn't even <em>look<em> like a wedding dress at all, but resembled Morticia Addams's dress in a loud neon green. The second was white silk and off the shoulder with an over layer of black lace, and the third was pale pink and made her resemble Glinda from the Wizard of Oz.

"Which one do you think?" The saleswoman asked Elissavetta.

"The pink one, I think," she said.

"What?" Selina cried. "That one looks horrible! Not much different from the last one, is it?"

"It's a different color," Elissavetta pointed out. "And it looks wonderful on you."

"Yeah, but I don't _like _it," Selina said.

"What does it matter what you like?" Elissavetta asked. "You're doing this for me, so I should like what you're wearing."

"What about the one with the black lace?" Selina asked. "That one was pretty."

"Dear, you're getting married, not going to a funeral!" Elissavetta said, looking scandalized. "It's bad luck to wear black on your wedding day. Unless you want the marriage to_ fail,_ that is."

"So dress number three then?" asked the saleswoman.

"Yes," Elissavetta nodded. "We'll take it."

* * *

><p>"So what are you going to look like now?" Klaus asked when he found Selina in the kitchen. "Am I going to see another giant cream puff coming towards me down the aisle?"<p>

"No," Selina shook her head. "This dress is a _little_ better, but not much. At least she didn't make me wear the scary neon green one."

Klaus' jaw dropped a little. "There was a _neon green_ one?"

"Yes," Selina nodded.

"That would have been a sight," Klaus said.

Selina sat down at the kitchen table. "Before this stupid wedding is over, either your mother or I will be dead. It just depends on who has the stronger will."

"Before I met you, I would have gone with mother without blinking, but you have your moments," he told her.

"You don't want to go through with your mother's stupid idea, do you?" She asked.

"Why?" He asked. "Are we eloping again?"

"No," Selina shook her head.

Klaus sat down. "What did you have in mind?"

"What if we brought it down from the inside?" Selina asked. "You know, until the day of the wedding, we act like everything's all cool and we're happy about it, but on the day of..."

"We just mess up everything!" Klaus said, a glint in his eye. "I like the way you think."

"I believe I'll start with taking a pair of scissors to my dress so that by the time I walk down the aisle, the dress will be shredded to bits."

"And I could always turn up drunk," Klaus offered.

"Perfect," Selina said. "What else?"

"Hmm..." Klaus said. "Let me think..."

"I got it!" Selina said. "What if we transformed and then broke into the venue before everyone showed up and just destroyed everything?"

"It _could_ be a nice way for us to bond," Klaus said. "Or maybe an even _better _way would be for us to be late for the ceremony because we happen to be having sex in a nearby closet, or some other place like that?"

"I can actually see that happening," Selina said. "Seeing as how Elijah won't let us use his house, we'll both probably be _way_ overdue by then. We won't be able to control ourselves."

They locked eyes. He strode toward her. She backed away and finally hit the wall. When he put his arms around her shoulders, she looked up at him, breathing hard.

"What do you say," he asked her. "One more to keep us warm on the long, lonely nights?"

She nodded and threw her arms around him. "Oh, yes," She breathed. He kissed her deeply and picked her up. "Make sure you shut the door," She said. "We don't want to be interrupted."

He nodded and put her down. "You're certainly right about that."

He went and shut the door and then sped back so he was on the bed next to her. He slowly undressed her and touched her in ways that made her shiver. After they paused for breath, she snuck under the covers and gave him a slow and sweet release.

"Just a little something to remember me by," she said afterward.

When they'd finally had enough, Klaus put on a robe and carried a nearly asleep Selina across the hall and tucked her in bed. When his mother got back, she'd never realize that they spent the night together.

* * *

><p>True to their word (and because of Elissavetta's eagle eye), Klaus and Selina spent the next month in separate beds. And they didn't even deaden the pain by seeing other people. Selina moved in with Margaret and devised a plan where whenever she thought about sex, she ate a chocolate chip cookie instead. Margaret kept count and was not surprised when she did a tally at month's end and realized that Selina had consumed enough cookies to feed a small country.<p>

Klaus moved in with Elijah, but spent most nights on a barstool, becoming very good friends with the head barkeep from whom he would always order six double scotches nightly, and then kill however many local people happened to be hanging out in the park after midnight.

Finally, the big day arrived. Selina asked Margaret to be her maid of honor, Elijah of course, was best man, and Alistair came along too, just to make sure nothing would go wrong.

When they arrived at the place where the ceremony was being conducted, they were stunned by the state of the place: windows had been broken, chairs turned on their sides, walls covered in various substances...

"This place is a mess!" Elissavetta cried. "But we won't let it spoil our day. "Now," she looked at Elijah. "Where do you suppose our happy couple is?"

"They must be around here somewhere," Elijah said.

"You looking for us?" asked a voice. A few moments later, a very tipsy Selina, once-decoratively done hair in disarray, dress torn and smoking a cigarette, suddenly appeared. Klaus followed soon after. His shirt was unbuttoned, his belt was undone. and his tie was askew.

"What's _happened_ here?" Elissavetta asked.

"Oh, that," Selina hiccuped. "We were robbed, see? The robbers came and tore up the place, and then they plied us with alcohol and locked us in a closet. We only just managed to get ourselves out."

"Yes," Klaus said, grabbing her around the waist and beginning to work the dress off her shoulders. "Tha's what happened. Oh, and we had sex because there was nothing else to do."

They clung to one another and burst out giggling.

Elissavetta breathed in sharply. "Things _will_ proceed as planned," she said. "Elijah, Alistair, go throw some water on these two. The ceremony will begin shortly."

* * *

><p>They got through the wedding well enough, although there was a pause when Rusty got loose and began attacking the man doing the officiating, biting him three times on the ankle and drawing blood so he had to hobble out to his car afterward. When everything had quieted down, Alistair realized that Klaus and Selina had snuck off again and found them in the car sharing yet another bottle of wine. Sighing, he got into the front seat and drove them to the building where the reception was taking place. "Thankfully," he said to himself, "I don't think things could get any worse."<p>

But he was wrong. After the cake was cut, Selina and Klaus began throwing it at one another, which resulted in a full-on food fight. When he finally managed to pull Selina away, her dress was even more of a mess, and bits of cake and frosting clung to her hair. "What was _that_ for?" He asked.

"The cake cutting ritual is a symbol of patriarchal opression," Selina said. "Not a chance in hell I was going to have it done properly at my wedding!"

"Are you going to clean up before the toasts?" Alistair asked.

Selina shook her head. "No, I'm okay. Thanks for asking, though." Then she skipped away and started talking with Margaret.

When they were all sitting at the table for toasts, Elijah was about to give the first one when Klaus stood up. "No, no," he said. "I want to go first."

"You _do?" _Elijah asked in surprise.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I want to go first, and my toast will be for Selina..."

"Really?" Selina asked. "How sweet!"

He cleared his throat and nodded. "I know there's something I never said to you before, but I'm saying it now, because we just got married, and I figure that the best way to say I love you is through song..."

He picked up a pepper grinder to use as a microphone and went to stand in front of the crowd, when he began warbling off-key: "Take my breath awaaaaaaaay! Washin' in slow mochin at my true lover's game. On this endless ocean, finally lovers know no shane. Take my breath awaaaaaay! Turnin' every turn to some seket pace insiiiiii...watchin in slow motion as you turn around and say...Take my breath awaaaaaay! Take my breath awaaaaaaaay!"

At this point, Elijah's fork had clattered to the floor and he was staring at Klaus, open mouthed. "Should we stop this?" He whispered to Alistair.

Alistair was shaking. "Let's not," he said when he could finally catch a breath. "This is as demonstrative as he's ever been. Do you really want to wreck that?"

Elijah's lip quirked. "I guess not."

Meanwhile, Klaus had moved on to the next verse: "Watchin, I keep waitin', still antipitating love. Never hestated to become the fated one. Turnin' every turn to some seket pace to hiiii...watchin' in slow motion as you turn around and saaaaay...take my breath awaaaaaay! My love...take my breath awaaaaay!"

"I'm so glad I brought a video camera," Margaret whispered to herself, training the lens on Klaus. "One copy for them, one copy for me, and one copy for the internet. I think I shall call it 'Drunk Groom Proclaims Love...Badly'."

Bad or not, he just kept going: "Through the howerglash I sowr you, and then you slipped away...when the mirror crash i called you, and turned to hear you say, if only for today... take my breath awaaaaay! Take my breath awaaaay!"

"How much longer is this going to go on?" Elissavetta whispered.

"I think there's one more verse left," Alistair whispered back.

And he brought it home: "Washin' in slow mochin at my true lover's game. Haunted by the notin, somewhere there's a love in fame. Turnin every turn to some seket pace to hiiiii...watchin' in slow motion as you turn around and saaaay: take my breath awaaaay! my love, take my breath away... my love, take my breath awaaaaay! My love. My love, take my breath awaaay!" He finished and looked at them all eagerly. The room was silent and then Alistair, Elijah and Margaret burst into applause. Klaus took a bow and then promptly fell flat on his face. He passed out.


	36. Rusty and the Tramp

When Klaus opened his eyes again, he was lying on a sofa at the house and Selina was looking at him and pushing hair out of his eyes. "You're all right," she grinned. "Can I get you anything?"

He tried to sit up and groaned. "Ow," he said, clutching his head.

"I wouldn't sit up if I were you," Selina advised. "You took quite a spill and you've been in and out of consciousness since yesterday. And, based on the amount you drank, probably more than a little hung over too. I'll go get you some ice."

"Wait, I..." Klaus said.

Selina turned. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing." Selina nodded. "Oh, all right."

She came back a few minutes later with the ice bag. "Put this on your head," she said. "And hold it there. Don't move it." Absent-mindedly, she began to hum "Take My Breath Away."

"What's that?" Klaus asked her.

She shook her head. "Just a song from a movie. I'll stop if you want me to."

"No!" Klaus said quickly. "I think it's pretty."

She grinned. "Thanks"

He groaned again. "I haven't felt this bad in five hundred years. The last time it was right before the wedding of one of my friends, so a bunch of us men went out with arrows and rocks and alcohol and played a little drinking game based on what we shot. We would pick an animal and every time we shot that animal, we'd take a drink."

"Which animal did you chose?" Selina asked.

"Rabbit," Klaus said. "And I was a very good shot."

Selina rolled her eyes and grinned. "No wonder you got so drunk."

"Have you ever had any drunken escapades?" He asked.

"The day the stock market crashed," Selina said. "A dark day in more than just name. They found me passed out in front of my apartment building and initially thought I was dead, although they of course couldn't discern how. Boy, did I give the medical examiner a shock when he was getting ready to cut me open and I sat up on the table."

Klaus grinned. "I bet you did..."

"I'll go make you some coffee," Selina stood up. "I hear that works too."

"I could get it," he said.

"Oh, no," Selina said. "You stay right where you are." She headed into the kitchen and left Klaus alone. Instead of staying where he was supposed to, he walked into the kitchen and stood behind her. "I'm better now," he said. She turned.

"You're supposed to be on the couch," she said. "Go sit and I'll bring this to you."

He decided to humor her. He went and sat back down on the sofa, sticking the ice bag against his head. When Selina came back with his coffee, he put the ice bag down and emptied the cup.

"That was fast," she said.

"I told you," he said. "I'm much better now."

"Oh, all right," Selina said. "I'll believe you."

"Sit on my lap, will you?" he asked.

"Okay," Selina said. She took a seat and lay her head on his shoulder. "So," he said, "how long have you been afraid of heights?"

She grinned. "You mean 'why did I act like such a freak on the ferris wheel? It's been that way since I was little. My uncle built me a tree house when I was around four, and Mama told me I couldn't go in it unless one of my male cousins was with me. Well, one day my cousin George took me up just before a storm, and then some of his friends came by and he left with them and I was in the treehouse all alone. Then, lightning hit the tree and the branch where my treehouse was broke off. I plunged to the ground, I don't know how fast. I was screaming and crying as loud as I could, but no one heard me until _after_ I hit the ground. Mama found me unconscious by the tree and for the longest time it was touch and go. But I pulled through and here I am."

He stroked her hair. "No wonder you were scared when the seat started shaking."

Selina nodded. "Yeah, just a little." She sighed. "Can we talk about something else?"

He nodded. "Of course. You weren't with anyone when we were separated, were you?"

"Were _you_?" Selina asked.

He shook his head. "No, I mostly got drunk and killed people."

"Ah," Selina nodded.

"So," he said, "What about you?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "No. What's the point of that, really? It's like when you buy a bag of those fun sized candy bars and eat all of them. It does the job, sure, but at the end of the day, you're not satisfied..wishing you'd sprung for the king-sized instead..."

He shifted her on his lap and they kissed.

Just then, Rusty came in and started barking. They pulled apart and Selina looked up at the clock. "Oh," she said. "It's time for me to take Rusty for his walk at the dog park."

"I can do it," Klaus offered.

"All right," Selina said. "But if a poodle comes toward you, go the other way. She's getting a little too interested in him."

She stood up and he spanked her. She turned. "Hey!" she said. She shoved him into the kitchen and they began to tussle. Finally, she got the upperhand and dragged him into the pantry closet where she stripped off his pants, pulled off her sweater, and then began licking him, going slowly down his length. When she reached the bottom, her cheeks were flushed and he was breathing hard. "Just a minute," she said and went out and grabbed a can of spray whipped cream, spraying some on his tip and then licking it off in slow, circular motions. He growled. She looked up at him. Her eyes were yellow. After she'd licked off the whipped cream, she pushed him against the wall and kissed him hard. He groaned and entered her.

By the time they opened the door again, they were both panting heavily. She straightened out her skirt and eyed him seriously. "Remember," she said, "keep Rusty away from the poodle. She's a slut."

And she sauntered away, her hips moving slowly from side to side. She didn't look back.

Klaus took a deep breath and stared down at Rusty who was looking at him inquisitively. "Do you want to go?" He asked him.

Rusty barked again and took off toward Klaus and Selina's bedroom. He began scratching at the door and finally, Selina came to open it. "What's going on?" She asked, picking him up.

"Apparently, he wants you to come too," Klaus said.

"Why not?" Selina asked. She dressed in blue jeans, sneaker and a high-necked red sweater and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. She carried Rusty out to the car and Klaus followed. When they arrived at the park, they took a seat on bench. "There's coffe over there," Klaus said once they'd set Rusty loose among the other dogs. "Would you like me to get you one?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. "Thanks."

It was just after Klaus left to get coffee that Selina saw Rusty with the poodle. And they were about to do something she didn't approve of. She snuck behind a bush and transformed. When she came out, she stalked over into the circle of dogs, causing their owners to scream and run in different directions. Selina sank her teeth into the poodle's side, causing it to whimper and limp away. Rusty whined and Selina went and changed back again. She picked him up and took him back over to the bench just as Klaus was coming back with their coffees.

"What's going on with him?" Klaus asked. "He looks upset."

"He might be now," Selina said. "But what I did, I did for his own good. There are so many other, better dogs he could be procreating with. Like Ginny from next door's cocker spaniel. She's adorable, not to mention very sweet."

Klaus looked up and saw the poodle with the gash in her side. "You attacked the poodle."

"Of course I did," she said. "She was about to _ruin_ Rusty!" She kissed the top of Rusty's head.

"He's a _dog," _Klaus said. "It's not 'ruining' him if he was the one who pursued her."

Selina laughed. "Oh, please. Do you know who's poodle that is? The Vanderhorsts. They run one of the most prestigious kennels around and charge gazillions of dollars a pop for each puppy they sell."

"So?" Klaus asked.

"_So_?" Selina said, looking shocked. "How can you not be more concerned about this? Every dog they sell is half poodle! Their slut dog gets impregnated and then the babies are sold off for huge sums of money! Do you really want Rusty to be on her list of conquests? I would have thought you'd expect more than that!"

Klaus eyes widened. "Oh, I do," he said. He looked at Rusty. "Normally, I would let you have a ride on the village bicycle, but you'll thank us some day when your puppies aren't sold off for large sums of money."

He looked at Selina. "I think we should go home, don't you?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "And maybe find another dog park." Rusty tried to squirm out of her grasp before they reached the car and he very nearly succeeded. Klaus got a grip on him just in time. They shut him in the backseat and listened to him bark all the way back to the house.

* * *

><p>When they reached the house, they brought him inside and locked him in the basement. "Now," Selina said, "We want you to think about what you did, because it's <em>not <em>good behavior!" Rusty barked back. Selina rolled her eyes and headed back upstairs. "I'm going to go to Anna's and see if she can tell me what the hell's going on with Rusty," Selina said.

"Good idea," Klaus told her.

"Oh, and I sewed up your brown leather jacket," Selina told him. "It turned out there was a hole in it after all!"

* * *

><p>Anna was surprised to see her standing on the other side of the door. "What can I do for you?" She asked. "Do you want to bring back Rusty?"<p>

"No," Selina shook her head. "I love Rusty. But he's having a problem and I could use your advice."

"What sort of problem?" Anna asked. "Have you fed today? Can I get you something?"

"No, thanks," Selina said. "I did feed today, which reminds me about why I'm here: Rusty has been lusting after this really stupid poodle at the dog park and it just really upsets me. I know it sounds stupid, but..."

"Wait," Anna said. "Could you describe the poodle? Any distinguishing features?"

"Uh-huh," Selina said. "Huge eyes, fur that's vaguely golden instead of pure white, and a mark on it's neck that looks suspiciously like a mole."

Anna's eyes widened. "Oh, good!" She cheered. "That's what happened to Cecily Vanderhorst! I thought I'd lost her forever."

Selina's eyebrows rose. "You turned one of the world's richest, most dimwitted girls into a poodle?"

"Hey," Anna said dismissively. "She got on my bad side one day, what can I say?"

"And you said that Rusty was the intellectual type when he was human..." Selina trailed off.

"Of course," Anna grinned. "What nerd doesn't fantasize about sleeping with a babe like Cecily Vanderhorst? I was going to finish her off when I turned her, but she disappeared."

"And now her parents are using her for breeding," Selina said. "What a surprise."

"Just hang in there," Anna said. "Rusty will find someone good one of these days."

"I know," Selina said. "I'm going to make sure of it. Oh, and by the way, Rusty and Cecily were very close to having doggy sex today, but I stopped it. She has a gash in her side now. It won't stop her forever, but it'll slow her down for a bit at least."

Anna grinned. "Oh, good for you!"

* * *

><p>When she got back to the house, she realized she was home alone. Klaus had left her a note to tell her he'd gone out. She looked up at the clock and decided it would be a good time to start dinner. Not that food did either of them any good in terms of nutrition, but it gave them a chance to talk. She was making something up and had just stuck it in the oven when she heard the front door open. Klaus came into the kitchen, stood behind her and grabbed her around the waist. "Hey," he said. "I see you're making dinner."<p>

"Yes," she nodded. "I am."

He began fingering the velvet of her turtleneck. "Why do you have to wear stuff like this?" he asked. "It makes certain things very difficult."

"You're right," she said. "I'll take it off." She took it off and threw it on the kitchen table. He began kissing her neck. She giggled "I like that," she said.

He nipped her neck and sucked on the drops of blood that came out. "That tickles," she said.

"I brought dessert," he whispered. "Would you like a preview?"

"Sure," Selina said breathlessly. He unbuttoned and uzipped her pants and stuck his hand inside. She gasped. He put his finger inside her and began making circling motions. "Oh, god," she breathed. "Oh, God." He kissed her neck at the same time. She whimpered. "What can I do to make this easier for you?" she breathed, bracing herself against the sink.

"Nothing," he said as he continuted circling. "Just relax."

Selina leaned back against him and shut her eyes. She lost track of time, not coming back to awareness until the oven beeped to indicate that dinner was finished. Selina's eyes opened. She looked up at Klaus. "So are you hungry?" She asked.

He nodded and grinned. "I'm _always_ hungry."

She grinned and kissed him. "Good," she said. "That's very good."


	37. You're the One That I Want

For the longest time after the incident with the poodle at the dog park, Rusty refused to come near Selina and started favoring Klaus instead. So the two of them went to the park, with Klaus' solemn vow not to let Rusty go near the poodle ringing in Selina's ears. However, after one particular trip, Rusty seemed particularly cheerful and jumped into Selina's arms. Looking into his eyes, it was then that she got an idea of what he'd been up to. She put Rusty down and strode into the living room where Klaus was watching TV. "I don't believe you!" She snapped. "You did exactly what you promised you wouldn't do!"

He looked up, nonplussed. "I wish you wouldn't nag me," he said. "I find it very annoying when you do that."

"Well," Selina said, "maybe if you would _listen_ to me once in awhile, I wouldn't have to nag."

"What's so wrong with Rusty having one tumble?" Klaus asked. "Now that he's been there, he'll probably never want to go again."

She just glared at him. "I'm going grocery shopping," she said. "We're out of milk."

"Have a good time," he said absently.

* * *

><p>She got in the car and drove to the supermarket. It didn't take her long to find the milk, and as she stood in the checkout line, she heard someone calling her name. Or rather, one of her many names.<p>

"Stella? Stella Warren?"

Selina turned. The woman addressing her was tall, slim, and dyed platinum blonde. She wore a dark blue halter dress that exentuated her figure.

"Hi," Selina said. "I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"

"You remember," the woman said. "Stephanie. Stephanie Porter, from high school?"

"Oh," Selina said. "Well it's nice to see you again."

"Did you hear about the reunion?" Stephanie prodded. "You know, you haven't aged a day!"

Selina shrugged. "Everybody says that. I'll see if my husband and I are available for the reunion."

"All right," Stephanie hugged her. "See you there!" She sauntered off.

"Geez," Selina smirked. "Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader."

* * *

><p>When Selina got back to the house, she dropped the milk off in the kitchen and then went down to the basement to look through the boxes and try to find her old high school yearbook. It wasn't difficult. Afterward, she'd vowed never to pretend to be a high school student again. She opened the yearbook up and turned to the photo pages. There was Stephanie Porter: head cheerleader, chair of the prom comittee, homecoming queen, prom queen, her accolades went on and on. Selina flipped a few more pages and found herself: Tennis team, swim team, drama club, band. She'd played the piano and keyboard and won several trophies at competition.<p>

She looked in the section for sports. Her eyes paused at the picture of the football cheerleaders. There was Stephanie, right up front and grinning idiotically like the rest of them.

When she heard the voice, she jumped. "What are you looking at?" Selina shut the yearbook quickly. Klaus was grinning down at her. "Nothing," she said. "Nothing you'd be interested in. Just a momento from awhile back."

He took it from her and began leafing through the pages. He quickly found the picture of the football cheerleaders. "They're very pretty," he said. "Were you one of them? I think you would look very good in a short skirt like that."

"No," Selina said. "I happen to think that cheerleaders are tools of a patriarchal society that is in swift decline."

His grin was tight lipped. "Well, aren't you adorable?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm practical."

A slow grin came over his face. "I have an idea for a new game," he said.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm not going to demean myself by dressing up like a stupid cheerleader just for _your_ sexual gratification."

He burst out laughing. "Oh, please. You know you want to."

Selina shook her head. "No, I don't."

He let it go, a knowing grin on his face. "So," he said. "What inspired this sudden yearning to revisit something you clearly find unpleasant?"

Selina sighed. "I ran into Stephanie Porter at the supermarket and she told me there's a reunion coming up."

"Is there?" Klaus asked. "Are we going?"

Selina gave him a look. "Who said I was inviting you?"

"Well," Klaus said, "don't people usually use reunions to throw their good fortune back in other people's faces? And you clearly have some unresolved anger about the people in your class, so what better way to show them up then by showing up on my arm?"

"Oh, how modest you are," Selina said dryly.

"So is that a 'yes'?" Klaus asked, looking hopeful.

Selina sighed. "It's a no," she said. "I think it would be a bad idea to bring you with me."

"But if you go by yourself," Klaus pointed out, "everyone is going to think you're a loser."

"No, they won't," Selina said. "_nobody_ is going to think I'm a loser."

He perked up. "So you _are_ letting me come with you!"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm making other arrangements."

* * *

><p>Selina knocked on the door of the house and prayed that he was home. The door opened. "Selina?" Elijah said, looking surprised. "What are you doing here?"<p>

Selina sighed. "Is Aleksandr home? I need to talk to him."

Elijah nodded. "Of course. Come in."

"Thank you," Selina said. "Where is he?"

"I'll go get him," Elijah said.

He returned with Aleksandr a few minutes later. "What do you want?" he asked her sharply. "Whatever it is, I won't do it!"

"You mean you won't come to my high school reunion with me and tell everyone you're my rich, handsome and succesful husband?" Selina asked.

"No," Aleksandr shook his head. "You have Niklaus for that."

Selina shook her head. "I don't trust him," she said. "Too much temptation. He found me looking at my old yearbook and apparently he has a fondness for cheerleaders."

"Oh," Aleksandr nodded. "So you're jealous."

"Stop that," Selina said. "Don't you think I was jealous after you left me? I thought for the longest time that another woman had caught your eye and you were just too scared to tell me."

"Well that's just not true," Aleksandr snapped.

"So why won't you go?" Selina asked.

"Maybe I will!" Aleksandr snapped back.

"Fine," Selina said. "It's in a week, dress business casual, I'll come and pick you up."

"Fine," he said. "I'll see you then!"

Elijah followed Selina out the door. "You just like to pick fights with everybody, don't you?" he asked.

* * *

><p>"Margaret!" Selina called as she strode into the boardinghouse.<p>

"What?" Margaret called back, coming into the living room. Damon followed.

"Do you still have that dress?" Selina asked. "The aqua blue mini dress that you said looked sexy on me?"

"Yeah, sure," Margaret said. "I'll go get it."

She left Selina and Damon staring at one another. "So," she said finally, "how have you been?"

"As good as a person who was deceived by someone they loved possibly could be," Damon said sourly. "Why didn't you just_ tell_ me that you were in love with Klaus? I had to hear it from Margaret of all people!"

"Oh," Selina said, "I am _not_ in love with Klaus."

"You married him," Damon said. "Margaret was there. She videotaped the whole thing!"

"Maybe there _is _something between Klaus and me, but it's nothing serious," Selina said. "It's just sex, that's all. And you've got Margaret now, so you can hardly be mad at me."

"That's true," Damon nodded. "She _is _a very good consolation prize."

"Wait," Selina said. "Margaret videotaped our wedding? Could I see it?"

Damon nodded. "She even put Klaus' reception toast on the internet." He sat down and called up the video. Selina watched it, her mouth slowly dropping with each verse Klaus sang. "I don't believe this," she said. "That couldn't have happened. I think I would have _remembered_ something like that."

Margaret came down the stairs. "Not if you were as drunk as he was," she said cheerfully and held the dress out. "Is this the one you were talking about?"

"Yeah," Selina said, taking it.

"So what's this for, anyway?" Margaret asked.

"Oh," Selina said, "my high school reunion is next week and I want to look awesome."

"Why are you trying so hard?" Margaret asked. "It's been ten years. Every other woman there is going to be almost thirty. You're going to outshine them all just by showing up!"

"I know," Selina grinned. "But it never hurts to put forth a little effort, now does it?"

Margaret looked over at the computer. "So you saw Klaus' wedding toast. What do you think?"

Selina grinned. "It's sweet," she said. "If only he were that demonstrative when he _isn't _drunk."

"Well," Margaret said, "at least I got it on film so we can prove that it actually happened."

Selina sighed. "I think I've caused enough damage around here for one day. Thanks for the dress. I'll be going now."

* * *

><p>The evening of the reunion, things were incredibly tense around the house. Klaus kept asking her what was going on with the reunion, and she kept telling him that he wasn't invited.<p>

"Well then who _are _you inviting?" He asked. "I think I have a right to know."

"It's nobody you know," she said.

"I'm going to be asking him some things when he gets here," Klaus said.

"Oh," Selina told him, "my date isn't coming here. I'm picking _him_ up."

"Well that's stupid," Klaus said. "If he was any sort of decent, he'd pick _you _up."

"Did it ever occur to you," Selina said, "that the whole reason why I arranged it this way was so that the two of you wouldn't meet?"

"Why wouldn't you want us to meet?" Klaus asked. "He _is _real, right? You aren't stuffing a blow-up doll in your trunk and then inflating him once you enter the high school parking lot?"

"No," Selina gave a humorless laugh. "He's very real, thank you very much. And grow up, will you? Petty jealousy is _not_ attractive." She looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh, and it's time for me to go pick him up. You and Rusty have a good night now."

"Oh, we will," Klaus said.

* * *

><p>As Selina was pulling out of the driveway, Klaus left the house and transformed behind a bush, then slowly stalked Selina's car all the way to Elijah's house. He remained hidden and watched as she parked in the driveway and went up to the front door, knocking once and then throwing her arms around...Aleksandr!...when he answered the door. Klaus growled and left the bushes, preparing to jump Aleksandr when he and Selina got to the car. However, he arrived a bit late and Selina fought him off. He then limped away to lick his wounds while the two of them drove off to the reunion.<p>

"What was that?" Aleksandr asked Selina once they were on the road. "Well, it was a wolf, obviously, but..."

"It was Niklaus," Selina said. "Apparently he followed me. He's been asking me all day who I was bringing to the reunion instead of him and now he knows."

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Aleksandr asked.

"Why would you ask something like that?" Selina said. "Are you nervous?"

"No," Aleksandr shook his head. "Of course not. It's just that I'm a bit worried about what he might do to _you _is all."

"How sweet," Selina said. "But don't worry. He won't do anything to me. Now let's just relax, lie through our teeth, and have as good a time as we can have." She parked the car in the school parking lot and led Aleksandr inside.

* * *

><p>Klaus arrived at the school just after Selina and Aleksandr did. Because he was still in his wolf form, he went behind a bush and changed back. "Well," he said, "It's pretty obvious why she didn't want me to meet her <em>date<em>, isn't it? Well, my dear, two can play this game."

His thoughts errupted by the sound of somebody nearby. He stepped out from behind the bushes and noticed the blonde woman struggling to get things out of her car. He strode over to her. "Looks like you need some help," he said.

"Oh, thank you," she told him. "I really _could _use the help." She handed him one of the boxes she was carrying. "Decorations for the reunion," she explained. "Do you belong to anyone in our class?"

"Oh, yes," he nodded. "I'm Stella's husband. Or I was...until she dumped me."

"She did?" The woman asked. "Well, I've had a couple of nasty divorces myself. It's not easy." She held out her hand. "I'm Stephanie Porter, by the way."

He shook it. "Niklaus Von Richter. But I prefer to go by Klaus. You were a cheerleader, weren't you? I've seen Stella's yearbook."

Stephanie cleared her throat. "I was. This might seem a little awkward since we just met and all, but I'm here by myself and..."

"Would you like me to escort you?" He asked. "I'd be happy to."

* * *

><p>When Stephanie Porter entered the room, Selina gasped when she saw who she had on her arm. "Look!" She said, grabbing Aleksandr roughly by the arm. "It's Stephanie Porter! And Klaus is with her!"<p>

"And why is this a problem?" Aleksandr asked. "I thought you didn't want him coming with you in the first place."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "And this is exactly why!"

Stephanie and Klaus both came toward them. "Hello," Stephanie said. "Sorry I'm late. I got the decorations. And I found the loveliest man in the parking lot, Stella. He says he used to belong to you."

"Yeah," Selina said. "He did used to belong to me."

"But after she got going with her business," Klaus said, "she dumped me."

"What business?" Stephanie asked, looking interested.

"I've found the secret to eternal youth," Selina whispered. "It's made me millions."

"What is it?" Stephanie asked eagerly. "Can I have some?"

"Tonight I'll be giving out free samples," Selina said. "So, what took the two of you so long?"

"We were under the bleachers," Stephanie said. "It was even better than I remember." She sighed.

"Yes, I noticed you were a bit wrinkly," Selina said. "And not just your dress, either!"

Stephanie frowned. "How dare you..."

"Oh," Selina said, "make a move. I beg you. But don't break a nail in the process."

Stephanie punched Selina hard enough to draw blood. "That's it," Selina said. She grabbed Stephanie by the arm and dragged her to the bleachers, pulling her underneath them and ripping out her throat, laughing as Stephanie's blood dripped down her chin. Once the former cheerleader was drained, Selina threw her body aside and went back out among the people. Who should she go after next? That was easy. How about the rest of the cheerleaders? After she influenced them all to come to her, she drained them all too, drinking half their blood and putting the rest of it in a bucket. Then, she transformed into a wolf and sprang out from under the bleachers again. Everybody went running for the doors, but they were met by Selina's horrible snarl. Several were so terrified that they collapsed. Jack Ryder, who had been the head of the basketball team, grabbed one of the candles from the table and threw it at Selina, hoping to deter her, but he missed and the flame began consuming the crepe paper instead. Eventually, the whole gym become engulfed in flames, the power went out.

Selina transformed again, grabbed the bucket of blood, and began writing things on the walls: 2 good 2 b 4 gotten, have a good summer, friends 4ever. Then the lights came back on and Aleksandr pulled her away from the wall. "No," she screamed. "No, let me go!" She brought her arm back and hit him in the nose so he dropped her. Her mouth was covered in blood and her eyes were dilated. She went looking for Klaus. She found him under the bleachers, fondling the breasts of the dead cheerleaders.

She growled and he turned. "Well look who it is," he said. "Was that little show for me?"

She got down on her knees and shoved several of the bodies aside until she reached Stephanie's which was at the bottom. Of course the woman was wearing her uniform. Selina stripped Stephanie naked and then took off her own clothes, putting on Stephanie's uniform. "You want a show?" She asked. "I'll give you a show."

She began chanting instructions while he sat there grinning, waiting for the moment went he could just rip the tiny skirt off her. Then, she began dancing and he was once again reminded how much he loved her ass. Finally, with her last cheer being "looky here, looky there, I'm not wearing underwear," he couldn't take it anymore and threw her on top of the pile of dead cheerleaders. He slowly removed her bloodstained clothes and began making love to her. She growled and tore off his pants and then he licked the blood off her mouth. She captured his mouth in hers, biting his lip and lapping up the blood.

The fire still raged around them, destroying the bleachers and as their lovemaking became more frantic, the bleachers collapsed around them in a heap of twisted metal.


	38. Through the Looking Glass

Selina sat up, opened her eyes, and looked around her. She gasped. "Oh, my god," she whispered to herself. "What have I done?"

There was a tarp near her. She pulled it around herself. Bodies, bodies everywhere. And then she saw the wolf in the corner. He didn't seem to notice her. He was gnawing away at the face of one of the dead women. Selina screamed, stoood up, and ran into the smoky gymnasium. She pulled the tarp tighter around herself and sat down in a folding chair, breathing hard. "Oh, god, oh god, oh, god." Then she felt hands on her shoulders. She looked up. There he was.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"What the hell were you doing?" She asked. "Like waking up surrounded by dead bodies wasn't bad enough?"

"Well I had to eat _something_," he said. "And there wasn't much else around."

She shivered. "That's going to stay with me for awhile."

"I don't see what you're so upset about," he said. "You hated all these people so what's wrong with giving them what's coming to them?"

Selina looked up. "I know I hated them, but they really didn't deserve that."

He looked at her. "You're still not embracing your werewolf side, are you?"

"Well is that what you want?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't like seeing you miserable like this when we could do something to fix it."

"Can we go home now?" Selina asked.

"All right," he said. "I'll go get your clothes."

He returned a few minutes later and she dressed. They left the school and drove home where Alistair met them at the door. "So," he said. "How was the reunion?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Selina said.

Alistair gave Klaus a look. "What did you do now?"

"He didn't do anything," Selina said. "It was all me. Everything went wrong. I thought I could change things, but I can't, and now I've just messed everything up!"

"What do you mean?" Alistair asked.

"I went berserk!" Selina said. "It was like something out of a Stephen King novel! Bodies everywhere, things caught on fire..." She sat down and put her head in her hands.

"Well, what can we do for you?" Alistair asked.

"I'm on a fast track to hell," Selina said. "And it's nobody's fault, really. I'm just addicted, that's all."

"Addicted to what, I can imagine," Alistair said.

"Exactly," Selina nodded.

"What's the matter?" Klaus asked.

"You can't say we have a healthy relationship," Selina said. Because we don't. Why we get out of bed in the morning, I have no idea."

"I've been wondering that too," Klaus said.

"See?" Selina looked triumphantly at Alistair. "That's exactly what I mean!"

"I think the two of you need to be separated," Alistair said.

Selina looked up, her tears gone. "I'm upset about it, but I'm not _that_ upset."

Klaus grinned. "She can't stay away."

"And neither can you," Alistair told him. "Admit it. If you had any willpower at all, you wouldn't have followed her to the reunion."

"Ha ha," Selina grinned. "I think you've just been owned."

"I'm serious this time," Alistair said. "And I can help."

"We tried that," Selina said. "And it didn't work because I have no willpower! Maybe I should just face my problems and go to sexaholics anonymous."

"That's for if you'll sleep with anybody," Alistair said. "You have a particular problem, as far as I know. And what happend last time was because we weren't working on both of you at the same time. Now we will be."

"What are you going to do?" Selina asked.

"It'll be okay," Alistair said. "I promise."

* * *

><p>"What are you going to do?" Klaus asked later. "She's become a complete wreck."<p>

"And why do you think that is?" Alistair asked.

"She's having trouble accepting her werewolf side," Klaus said. "If I'd have known it would mess her up this much, I wouldn't have subjected her to it."

"It's not just her," Alistair said. "Her mother's entire family, while not exactly in the dark about their condition, doesn't go around waving a banner about it either, especially not the girls. I believe she's the first female werewolf in the line."

"Really?" Klaus asked. "Maybe things would be better if we could make her more comfortable about being a werewolf. Could you do that?"

"I could," Alistair nodded. "But do you honestly believe that's the best thing for her? And for you and her?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I think it is. She's too soft now. All her life, people have stomped on her, and now it's time for her to stomp on them and not feel a lick of guilt about it!"

"All right," Alistair said skeptically. "Whatever you say."

"Do you think I'm wrong?" Klaus asked.

Alistair shook his head. "No, you're absolutely right. Look in your mirror and see for yourself."

* * *

><p>As soon as Klaus had gone to his room, Alistair went to see Selina, who still seemed distraught. "What's the matter?" he asked.<p>

"You know," Selina said. "I told you. I don't like this at all. Why can't I just have a nice, normal relationship where me and my significant other say hi to each other over our newspaper and morning coffee, and then we leave for work and don't see each other until evening?"

"That's your idea of a good relationship?" Alistair asked.

"Yeah," Selina said. "You know, it really is."

"So if it was possible, you would want you and Klaus to see each other only in the morning, be away from each other all day, and then see each other again at night?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "It would be noble of him to have other interests besides sex and killing stuff, right? Like maybe a job at an insurance company, or a law firm..." She sighed happily. "Could you do that?"

"I could," Alistair nodded. "But do you honestly believe that's the best thing for him? And for you and him?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I think it's time he used those skills of his to help people rather than hurt them. It'll be good for his character."

"All right," Alistair said skeptically. "Whatever you say."

"Do you think I'm wrong?" Selina asked.

Alistair shook his head. "No, you're absolutely right. Look in your mirror and see for yourself."

* * *

><p>When Selina reached her bedroom, she stared at the mirror next to her closet. She reached out and touched it. To her surprise, she was able to stick her hand through. She pulled it out quickly and then stuck it in again. "That's weird," she said. Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled through. When she landed, she was facedown in a field of grass. She looked up and saw Rusty sitting beside her, a pocket watch tied to his collar. "You're late!" he said.<p>

"And you're talking!" Selina said, amazed. "Why would you do that?"

"No time for questions," Rusty said. "Come with me and hurry."

"Oh, all right," Selina said. He began running through a forest and then suddenly came to a small dog house. "Come inside," he said.

"But that's so small," Selina said. "I can't possibly fit. Can't you see that?"

"Eat one of those," Rusty said, indicating a plate of pink frosted cakes sitting next to the house. "And take the bottle of wine for later. You're going to need it."

Selina sighed. "All right," she said and ate one of the cakes which caused her to shrink. She then followed Rusty into the doghouse and he led her through a maze of corridors and finally out the other side, so they were outdoors again. "Drink the wine now," Rusty said. "You don't want to become prey for birds."

Selina pulled out the little decanter of wine. "I certainly don't," she said and drank it down. One she was normal size again, Rusty led her on. They ran into a dragonfly which beared a strange resemblance to alistair. He was smoking a cigarette. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Selina shrugged. "I don't know."

He blew a plume of smoke. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

Selina cleared her throat. "Because Edgar Allan Poe wrote on both?"

He grinned. "I didn't know there _was_ an answer to that question, but what you said seems good enough. Before you continue on though, I have to ask: are you really sure you want to see what is to come?"

"Yes," Selina said. "You asked me that at the house and I told you yes!"

"I don't believe we've ever met," the dragonfly said. "But as long as you're sure, you may proceed."

Selina curtseyed. "Thank you," she said. She and Rusty continued on their way.

They came across a little tea cart where two people who looked a lot like Damon and Alaric shouting out their wares.

"And who are you?" Damon asked.

"I think that's alice," Alaric said. "She looks like an Alice. Tea?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I don't want any, thank you. I have somewhere I have to be. And my name isn't Alice, it's Selina."

Damon burst out laughing. "That's a funny name!"

"Have a seat, have a seat," Alaric said. "Turning down our tea would be a grave mistake!"

"Why?" Selina asked.

"Because," Alaric said. "You wouldn't want to disappoint me on my birthday."

"It's your birthday?" Selina asked.

"No," Damon said. "It's his _un_birthday. And mine too! And yours! This calls for a toast!" They poured her a cup of tea and toasted. After she finished drinking, she said, "It's been nice chatting, but I have to go. Goodbye."

She continued on her way. Rusty seemed to have disappeared. She soon found herself in the front yard of a large house. She saw the name on the mailbox and smiled in satisfaction. "It's our house," she said. She opened the door and stepped inside, arriving in the kitchen. Klaus was reading the paper and wearing a gray suit. "Good morning," he said, coming to give her a kiss on the cheek. Coffee?"

"Yes, please," Selina said. He poured her some coffee and she put sugar and milk in it. "So," she said after taking a sip, "What are you going to do today?"

"Just going to the office," he said. "I have that new ad campaign to show to the client today, and my boss says that if it goes well, he'll make me a partner. It's a fifteen millon dollar account, you know."

"Oh, that's great!" Selina said. "You better get going. You don't want to be late."

He nodded and kissed her on the cheek. "Would you have a look at my black suit jacket today? It's missing a button."

"Sure," Selina said. "I have just the thing to fix that. You run along be the successful person you are! Chicken all right for dinner tonight?"

"Of course," he said. "See you then. And just one more thing...my mother said she might stop by today. But you can handle her. I know it."

"Yes," Selina said. "Lovely, wonderful..."

The door closed behind him and all Selina could do was wait. She'd know when the old battleaxe would show up. She set a bouquet of white roses in a vase on the counter. A few minutes later, the phone rang. "Did you pick up the roses yet?" Asked the voice on the othe end. "Red ones, I hope."

"No," Selina said. "I couldn't. They only had white ones."

"Oh," said the voice. "I feel sorry for you...you wouldn't by chance have red paint on you, would you? That might save the day."

"Even if I did, I wouldn't repaint all the roses to make her happy," Selina said.

The voice on the other end sighed. "As you wish."

A few hours later, there was a knock on the front door. Rusty and several other people entered the house, including Klaus' mother, Elissavetta. She was dressed entirely in red. She walked into the kitchen and saw the roses on the table. "White roses," she said with a disdainful sniff. "I _hate_ white roses."

"Well too bad," Selina said. "Because that's all they had. Deal with it."

"You dare speak to me that way?" Elissavetta asked.

Selina nodded. "I always have and I always will."

Elissavetta looked down at Rusty. "Where's my executioner? Off with her head!"

"What?" Selina asked. "No!"

"Well, well, well," Elissavetta began circling her. "I might be willing to spare your life...if you play croquet with me and win."

"Fine," Selina said. "I'm actually good at that."

They got out the mallets and the balls and played best out of five. To everyone's surprise, Selina won and Elissavetta left in a huff."

Selina sewed the button Klaus's jacket and fixed up the chicken, and then waited for him to come home. When he arrived, they sat down together and ate. He regaled her with stories of his day at the office and then after dessert. he looked at his watch. "I have to go," he said.

"Why?" Selina asked. "You just got home! I thought we'd spend some time along tonight! I even bought some new things to surprise you!"

"How sweet of you," Klaus said. "But Jack and I have a golf date and you know I can't miss golf."

"But that takes such a long time," Selina complained. "And you're always too tired when you get back."

"That's why we got separate beds," he said. "So I wouldn't disturb you."

Selina groaned. "Why the hell did I marry you?" She asked.

"Because," he said, "I'm ambitious and dependable and I give you your space. Why else would we marry?"

"Because we like to have fun together!" She burst out. "You tell me I'm pretty and then we have wild, crazy sex and buildings fall down and things catch on fire and...and you push me to do things I never thought I'd do...I need you for that!"

He looked at her like she was crazy. "Maybe you should go to bed early tonight, dear," he said. "I don't think you're well."

Selina scoffed. "After a day with your mother, who would be?"

He ignored her and left for his golf game. Once he shut the door behind him, she noticed a cat in the corner. He grinned widely at her. "Isn't it wonderful to get everything you wish for?"


	39. The Real Lost Boy

Klaus strode into his bedroom and stared into the mirror as Alistair had instructed him, but he had no idea what it was supposed to accomplish. Probably nothing, he thought to himself. Suddenly, the room filled with light and he felt himself being picked up and thrown into the mirror. He shut his eyes, waiting for the impact. *** When he opened his eyes again, he was sprawled out on the floor. He could hear people chatting nearby. He turned over on his back. Then he saw a sign: The Lost Boys' Club, Restaurant and Speakeasy. Slowly, he sat up. His head was throbbing. He looked down at himself. He was wearing a blue and white pinstripe suit. His shirt was open at the collar.  
>Where the hell am I? He thought. He heard a voice. "There you are. I figured you'd drunk yourself into a stupor somewhere. Can I get you something, Champ?"<br>His eyes widened. The woman who was speaking resembled Selina, but she wore a green dress that was much shorter than anything Selina would have ever worn. He stared a little while longer before she snapped her fingers. "Hey!" she said. "What's wrong with you? Have you been in my pixie dust again? Are you seeing things?"  
>"No," he said as he struggled to stand up. The woman gave him her hand and pulled him up, and then kissed him deeply. "You have to stop doing this to me, Champ," she said. "I always think it's the pirates that went and gotcha."<br>"Who are you?" He asked. "And who hell are the pirates?" "Okay," she blew a gum bubble. "You've clearly been in my pixie dust. I have to supervise you next time. You remember me? Belle? Nicknamed the Green Fairy?" She grinned.  
>He still had no idea, but nodded anyway. "Yes, right, of course." Just then, a plump man dressed in brown came running into the bar. "Hook and his men are here," the man panted. "And I think they've got a bomb!"<br>"Oh, spare me," Belle said, rolling her eyes. She looked at Klaus. "You stay here. You aren't fit to face them now."  
>She pulled out a machine gun that was hidden behind the bar and grinned wildly. "But I am. Ready and willing."<p>

He stared at her. "Wait a minute, what are you talking about? Since when did you know how to use a gun?"

She frowned. "I've always known how to use a gun! Remember what I told you...stay right here and don't move a muscle!"

Klaus pushed himself up. "I don't think this is such a good idea." He tried to wrestle the gun away from her, and it went off with a loud bang. When the smoke cleared, Klaus was huddled on the floor.

"Are you all right?" Bell asked him, getting down on her knees. "What happened? Did I hurt you?"

He groaned. "I can't say you did me any good. You shot me! I can't believe you shot me!" Bell looked down where the blood was spurting from. "Well I told you not to try and take the gun away from me. You never listen, and then you end up getting shot in the crotch. You really can't blame me for this."

He looked up at her. "Oh, yes I can!"

She shrugged. "So we'll have to take a few nights off while we wait for someone to remove the bullet. I can wait. Now if you'll excuse me," She picked up the gun again. "I have some business to take care of."

He watched her go and sucked in his breath. What had happened to _her_?"

* * *

><p>Bell headed outside the bar where three rough-looking men were waiting for her. "Hello, Miss Bell," said the tallest of the three. He wore a red crushed velvet suit with a white, frilly sleeved shirt underneath. He bowed and took her hand to kiss it. "Stop slobbering all over me, Hook," she said. "And tell me what you came for."<p>

"Just a drink, Miss Bell," he said easily. "Can't a man enjoy a drink?"

"Not if he's you," she said. "You know you're no good around here."

Hook just grinned and pulled her hair out of its bun. "So hostile," he said. "Maybe you should get a few drinks in you. It might lighten you up."

"No, thank you," she said. "I only sell 'em, I don't partake myself."

"Which is a shame," Hook said smoothly. "You have the best gin in the state and you've never partaken of it."

"Anything's better than that crap you laddle out of your bath tub," Bell said, putting her hands on her hips. "Now are you going to go quietly, or am I going to have to use force?"

He grinned. "Oh, I'll go quietly," he said. "If you use force on me, you might charge me and I don't have that kind of money."

She frowned. "Just get lost, you creep."

Hook just laughed and strode away.

"Is he gone?" One of the boucers asked when Bell entered the bar.

"Yes," she nodded. "And I didn't even have to use my gun."

"That's a lie," Klaus said. "She _did_ use her gun!"

"All right," Bell said. "Let me rephrase: I didn't use my gun on _Hook."_

"That would certainly be more accurate," Klaus said bitterly.

"I managed to get the bullet out," said another one of the bouncers. "I don't know what he's going on about now."

"I don't either, Slightly," said Bell. "In fact, he's probably healed up by now."

Klaus sat up. "So Hook is gone for the moment?"

Bell nodded. "Of course he is."

"All right then," Klaus nodded. "I'm going to go take a walk. Don't wait up for me."

* * *

><p>He walked until voices emanating from an open window caught his ears. He walked toward the house and saw a lighted window on the upper floor. He propelled himself upward and dug his fingers into the shingling so he wouldn't fall off.<p>

"...And he's supposed to be notorious," said the voice. "Rough and tumble. The news says that he chased off three prohibition agents last week. Not that I approve of recreational drinking, of course, but people should be able to do as they please without the government interferring. This is America, for God's sake. That's our right!" Klaus heard a loud thump and then a crash. A boy's voice remonstrated. "You must be careful, Wendy. That was Mother's best lamp you just broke."

Klaus looked in the window and inhaled sharply. There she was again. Selina. Only now she wore a blue nightgown and had her hair tied back with a blue ribbon. She sighed. "I know, John," she said. "But sometimes I just get so bored. I wish someone would take me away, somewhere else."

"You mean you want to grow up?" John asked.

She nodded. "Yes. I'm tired of Mother and Father treating me like a child."

Wendy began to come toward the window and Klaus moved away just before she saw him. He jumped down off the roof and then heard barking. He turned around and found himself face to face with a large dog. She growled at him and began chasing him, catching the bottom of his coat in her teeth and pulling it off, even though he managed to get away.

Once he was gone, the dog got back inside and walked up to the bedroom where the three children sat talking.

"Nana!" said Michael, the youngest. "What have you got there?"

"Let me see it, Nana," Wendy ordered. "Let me see it!" She managed to wrestle it away from the dog and looked at it closely. "My goodness," she gasped. "It's his!"

"Whose?" asked Michael and John eagerly.

"You know," Wendy said, her voice rising. "_His_!"

"Jiminy," John said, taking his glasses off and rubbing them with his nightshirt. "Are you serious, Wendy? But why would he want to come here?"

Wendy shrugged. "I don't know. But I'll put his jacket somewhere safe. I just know he's going to come back for it. And I see there's a hole in it from where Nana must have grabbed him with her teeth. I'll sew it right up for him. He'll like that."

* * *

><p>When Klaus got back to the club, he threw himself in the door.<p>

"What happened to you?" Bell asked. "Where's your jacket?"

"I lost it," he shrugged. "I know where it is though. I can always go back and get it tomorrow."

"If you do, I'm coming with you," Bell said. "We don't want anything to happen to you. Hook's got his eye on this place and something bad happenin' to you would be the perfect excuse for him to expand his so-called empire."

"All right," Klaus said. "You can come. Just stop nagging me. You know I hate that." He rolled his eyes. "Girls talk too much!"

"Oh," Bell said, hands on her hips. "Girls, is it? Well you listen to me, Mister. This place wouldn't even be off the ground if it wasn't for me, so why don't you think about _that_ before you start shooting off your mouth."

He gave her a look and advanced toward her. She began backing away. "Oh, no," she said. "Don't you go lookin' at me like that."

He pinned her against the bar. "Why not?"

"Cause I got tables to do, that's why not. Drinks don't just serve themselves, you know," she said.

He was breathing heavily now and running his tongue over her collarbone. "Get Slightly to bring in the orders for you," he said, his voice heavy.

She squirmed. "I don't know," she said.

"How long has it been since you've had a break?" he asked and began nipping at her neck.

"Too long," she breathed. "Too long." She kissed him back and they worked their way behind the bar where they ripped off each other's clothes and Bell grabbed a container from the pocket of her dress sprinkled some of the contents on her hands. Then she held them up. "Would you care to inhale?" She asked.

He grinned and inhaled deeply. So did she. Pretty soon, they were flying among the stars. "Look," Klaus said. "Second star to the right and straight on til morning!"

Bell held his hand tighter. "I'm flying! I'm flying!"

Then it began to snow...and giant bears and bunny rabbits bounded toward them. The sky began to darken. Thunder struck. Bell screamed...

"Are you two all right?" Asked a voice. They looked up at Slightly who was peering at them from the other side of the bar. "Been in your stuff again, have you?" He asked. "I don't know why I always wonder that. It's your game. Chandeliers were shaking in the main room. People were thinkin' there was an earthquake or something!"

"Oh," she sighed. "Right." She pulled her uniform back on. "I have drinks to deliver."

Slightly nodded. "But don't worry," he said. "I covered the last batch for you."

Belle nodded. "Thanks. I owe ya one."

* * *

><p>That night, Bell went with Klaus back to Wendy's. "Why are we here again?" Bell asked.<p>

"I told you," Klaus whispered back, "This is where I left my jacket."

He took her hand and they bounded back onto the roof and waited until the lights in the bedroom were off. Then, they carefully opened the window and snuck inside. Klaus grabbed his jacket off Wendy's bedpost and would have made it out of the house all right if Bell hadn't knocked over a lamp. A second later, somebody clapped the lights on.

"What is it?" Wendy asked. "Who is it?" She saw Klaus. Her eyes widened. "Oh!" She said. "It's you!"

"I just came for my jacket," he said.

She got out of bed and came toward him. "But you can't take it now!" she said. "It has a hole in it from when Nana caught you and I was going to sew it up. May I have it back, please? It'll only take a minute."

"Oh, all right," Klaus handed it back. Wendy began rooting around for the right thread. "Well?" Klaus said. "Get on with it, girl."

She turned. "My name is Wendy. Wendy Moira Angela..."

"Wendy's enough," he broke in.

"Oh," she nodded. "I understand." She quickly sewed up the jacket. "I've been waiting to meet you for so long," she said. "I think I should like to give you a kiss."

Bell's eyes widened. "Just a minute, sister. Keep your big, ugly mitts off my man!"

"Well!" Wendy said. "Excuse me!"

Bell's eyes narrowed. "Don't make me ask you again!"

Wendy turned her attention back to Klaus. "So did you only come for your jacket?"

"Not just," he admitted. "I like listening to your stories too."

"But they're all about you," Wendy said.

"Of course," Klaus nodded. "That's why I like them." He paused and his eyes widened. "Would you come with us?" he asked her.

"What?" she asked. "Really?"

"Yes," he said. "To tell stories to me and the lost boys?"

"I suppose I could for a little while," Wendy said. "It would be nice to get out of the house."

He took her hand and began leading her back toward the window. "Wait," she said. "What about Michael and John?"

Klaus looked at Bell. "Would you take care of them for us, please?" he asked.

Bell rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said.

She grabbed her container and sprinked dust liberally over them. In the morning, no one would understand a word out of them. "Are we going now?" She asked grumpily.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. He and Wendy went out the window first, but then Bell changed into a wolf and bounded ahead of them. Wendy gasped and clutched at Klaus.

"It's all right," he said. "Bell won't hurt you."

"Are you sure?" Wendy asked. Klaus nodded. The two of them began walking toward the bar.

* * *

><p>"Guys, guys!" Bell bounded into the bar. A very unpleasant woman is coming this way and Klaus wants us to take care of her."<p>

"What?" They asked. "Like how?"

"You know, take my gun and shoot her. She's a spy for Hook who's just trying to get on Klaus's good side."

"Really," said Slightly. "Well we better take care of her!"

They waited until Wendy was in sight and then began shooting. She screamed and clutched at Klaus, who shoved her inside, out of harm's way. Then he strode inside. "What in the hell was that?" He asked. "Why were you shooting?"

"Bell told us to!" They all said immediately. "She said the girl was a spy for Hook who was trying to pull one over on you!"

"Well she isn't," Klaus snapped. "I brought her to tell us stories and you shoot her down." He turned to glare at Bell, who was slowly moving away. "Go home," he snapped. "You're fired!"

"What?" Bell said in surprise.

"You heard me," Klaus repeated. "You're fired."

Bell pouted. "Oh, fine!" She stomped off out of the bar and slammed the door hard behind her.

Klaus turned back to Wendy. "Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I think so."

"You will be," he said. "I promise."

* * *

><p>Bell stomped across the street to Hook's bar. "Hello, my dear," he said. "Can I get you anything?"<p>

"Double scotch," she said.

He poured it and pushed it toward her. "Why the long face? Rough day?"

"The worst," she said and lit a cigarette. "Klaus abandoned me for another girl. A little powder puff named Wendy."

"I'm sorry," Hook said, his voice oozing with fake sympathy. "If there's _anything_ at all I can do..."

She nodded. "I want her gone," Bell said. "I want that Wendy girl gone. Could you take care of that for me?"

Hook nodded. "Of course," he said. "If you give me the key to bringing down Klaus. Where does he live?" Hook pulled out a map and Bell pointed. "Perfect," Hook said. "Just perfect."

* * *

><p>That night, as Wendy was telling another amazing story about Klaus, the doorbell rang. Klaus went to open it and found a package wrapped in a pink bow on the other side. He picked it up and read the inscription. "To Klaus, with love from Wendy." He turned. "You got me a gift? Why? And why does it say I can't open it for another ten minutes?" He watched the clock and when it was still half a minute till, he began opening the paper as the box began to smoke. All of a sudden, Bell ran in. "Everybody out, there's a bomb in that box. If you don't get out, you'll all die!"<p>

Everybody ran for it, but there wasn't time for Bell to get out. When the blaze had cleared, Klaus pulled her twisted, burned body from the mess. He hugged her to him. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry. Why did you do it? You know I can't die!" He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Wendy. "If there's anything I can do," she said. "I mean, I know I'm not tough, and I can't shoot a gun, but there are other things I can do, I promise."

He nodded. "All right."

She put her arms around him. "It's going to be all right."

Then, Klaus felt himself being pulled away from Wendy and back into the vortex. When he hit the ground again, he was back in his room. "What the hell was that?" He thought to himself.

Just then, there was a knock at his bedroom door. "Come in," he called.

Selina entered a moment later. "I just had the strangest experience..."

He put his arms around her and kissed her deeply. "I did too," he said. "Would you like to compare notes?"


	40. Bee and Flower

Sure," Selina said. "But you aren't going to believe any of it."  
>"Try me," Klaus said. "The mirror sucked me in and I was in this weird place where there was two of you and one was really bad ass and sexy and the other one was just sweet and nice and good..."<br>"Who'd you end up with?" Selina asked.  
>"The good one," Klaus said. "The sexy one died."<br>"I can be sexy," Selina protested. "I'm not just an uptight schoolmarm with inadequacy issues."  
>"You're right about that," Klaus said. "You've aroused me more times than I care to admit."<br>"I have?" Selina asked, surprised.  
>"Yes, of course," Klaus nodded. "Why do you think I chase after you so much?"<br>Selina nodded. "Well I'm flattered. I needed that, by the way."  
>"What happened in yours?" Klaus asked.<br>"We were just a normal couple," Selina said. "Albeit an unhappy one living in a world that mirrored 'Through the Looking Glass'. You were into golf and had a steady job, but you were so tired at the end of the day that we never had sex!"  
>"What?" Klaus' eyes widened. "You can't be serious."<br>"I am," Selina nodded. "It was a real bummer, too."  
>Klaus grinned and took her in his arms. "Well let's remedy that right now," he said, slowing stripping off her clothes and pushing her up against the door.<p>

He kissed her deeply, running his lips in a fiery trail down her body. Then he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him. "What do you say we move this to the bed?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes, it's much harder to thrash in ecstasy when you're standing up." He lay her down on the bed and kissed her again. "I have an idea," he said. "Wait for me a minute. And close your eyes."

Sighing, she shut her eyes and waited. He left the room and came back with a bottle of honey which he'd warmed in the microwave. He squeezed a line out all over her body. The heat made her gasp. Then she relaxed and moaned, grinning. He slowly licked the excess honey off her body and when he licked inside of her, she screamed. She opened her eyes. "I'm all sticky," she said.  
>"Yes," He nodded. "You certainly are."<br>"Are you going to clean me off?" She asked.  
>He grinned. "Maybe later. Would you like a drink?"<br>She grinned at him. "Sure. Why not?"  
>He came back with two cups a few minutes later. "It's a little strong," he said. "So drink it down quick. I'll get you another one if you want."<br>"Are you trying to get me drunk?" She asked.  
>"Not at all," he said. "Just comfortable. I don't understand how you can have such a beautiful body and not be comfortable in it."<br>She tilted her head back and swallowed what was in the glass, her mouth puckering. "Ew! What the hell is that stuff?"  
>"Just a little creation of my own," he said. "I had a little help from the Green Fairy, though."<br>Her eyes widened. "Where did you find absinthe?" She asked.  
>"You sound disproving," he said.<br>She shook her head. "No, I'm not disproving. I'm merely curious."

"Have you ever tried just accepting things the way they are without questioning them?" he asked.

"No," she said. "Curiosity is a natural human trait."

"But you aren't human," he said. "You lived a life that didn't give you a lot of good things to remember. Can't you just forget them?"

"I've tried," she said. "But when a person, no matter what they are is used, abused and forced to be the kind of person that goes against everything she knows in her heart she is, it's not something that's forgotten overnight. There's thing two, by the way. I told you I'd share ten and I am."  
>"You don't have to go into more than that," he said. "Alistair showed me everything already. Or a fraction of it all anyway."<br>Selina looked up. "He did? Why did he do that?"  
>Klaus had trouble meeting her eyes. "It was right after I...broke you," he said.<br>"You mean when you broke every bone in my body and threw me down the stairs in a crumpled, naked heap?" She asked. "That should have bothered me, but it wasn't like it was the first time I disappointed a man and he acted out against me physically."  
>Klaus breathed in sharply. "If any other man tried to do that to you, I would ring his neck. I would rip him to pieces and they'd be finding his body for weeks."<br>"But it's okay for you to do it?" She asked, eyeing him reproachfully.  
>He shook his head. "No, it wasn't okay and I'm sorry."<p>

She nodded. "Thank you," she said. "I know how hard it must be for you to say. Thank you." Then, she grinned. "Why are we dwelling on this?" She asked. "We're both naked and I'm sticky. Don't we have much more pleasureable things to focus on?"

"We do," he said. "Lie down."

She obeyed and he began to massage her. She felt herself begin to relax. "So our experiences were pretty nutty," she said. "Why do you think they happened?"

"Alistair probably," Klaus said. "Trying to teach us some lesson or other, like he does."

Selina turned over on her back and he began massaging her breasts. "When I stop feeling so good," she breathed, "then we'll go and ask him about it."

"And when will that be?" Klaus asked, grinning.

"After I work on you," she said, grinning back. "You didn't think you were going to get to have all the fun, did you?"

* * *

><p>Alistair looked up when Klaus and Selina showed up in his room and grinned to himself. They were flushed, rumpled, and they couldn't stop smiling. Clearly he'd done something right. "Can I help you two?" He asked.<p>

"What did you do with the mirrors?" Selina asked. "And why did you do it?"

"Because I wanted to show the two of you that what you thought you wanted out of each other was wrong," Alistair said. "Selina, you told me you'd be happier if Klaus was a by the book business guy with a normal job and a normal life. That didn't work out so well, did it?"

Selina shook her head. "Not really. But you probably just manipulated it to be that way," she said. "You wanted to have a certain outcome and so you had him deny me sex."

Alistair looked up at Klaus. "You've spoiled her," he said. "She's been with you so long that she's forgotten what typical males are like."

Selina scoffed. "If that is what typical males are like, I consider myself lucky."

"And Klaus," Alistair continued, "You told me that it would be better for your relationship if Selina gave into her werewolf side, or something to that effect." Klaus nodded.

"So," Alistair asked him, "Bell or Wendy and why?"

"Wendy," Klaus said. "Because even though the reason why we originally got together was pure animal instinct-"

"It's gotten beyond that now," Selina said. "There's more. He gives me more freedom with my actions and behavior than anyone I've ever known. He knows about the monster within me and tells me that it's okay that it's there unlike my mother's family, who hide the truth and treat it as something shameful." She sighed. "Having the werewolf gene is just a fact of my life. And it has caused me to act in ways that were considered unladylike and vulgar. But what I've learned is that there's no real point in pretending like the gene's not there, because it is and I have to learn how to deal with it."

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "And I'll help you. Or encourage whatever you come up with."

"Cool," Selina said. "Where should we start?"

* * *

><p>The following Friday, Alistair announced that he was going to be visiting some friends of his and would be gone all weekend.<p>

"Perfect!" Klaus said.

"Don't be so sad about it," Alistair said.

"It's not that I want you to go away," Klaus said. "I just got an idea about how to make Selina more comfortable with herself and it'll be less awkward for everyone if you aren't home?"

"Please," Alistair said, giving him a look. "I know what the two of you do all the time. I'm not deaf, you know."

Klaus ignored him and rushed to his and Selina's bedroom where she sat on the bed with a book in hand.

"What?" She asked, looking up in surprise. "What's got you so eager-beavery?"

"I thought of the first thing we could do to make you more comfortable with your werewolf self," Klaus said, his eyes shining with anticipation.

"If the next thing you say is 'let's transform and then have doggie style sex in the backyard,' I'm going to hurt you," Selina said dryly.

"Actually I wasn't," Klaus said. "But it's going on the list now."

Selina rolled her eyes.

"I was going to suggest that since Alistair is going away for the weekend, we should go natural." Klaus said.

"What do you mean?" Selina asked, putting her book down. "Hopefully not being disdainful of bathing and and eating granola."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Picture this." He sat next to her and put his arm around her, whispering in her ear: "night time, you and me, making love under the stars, nothing in between us but us."

"So you still _are _proposing sex in the backyard, but I must admit that _is_ more romantic," Selina said.

"Remember the island?" he asked her. "How freeing everything was?"

"You mean how nobody wore any-?" She groaned. "You want us to roll around in the dirt when we're naked? But that's unsanitary and dirty and-"

He kissed her to close her mouth. "Stop," he said. "You're overthinking again. Listen to your instincts. That's the whole point of this. And admit it, you and I don't need dirt to be dirty."

Selina took off her shirt. "You know, I think you're right," she said. "This is going to be an interesting weekend."

* * *

><p>When Selina woke up the next morning, Alistair had already left and Klaus was already up. She got out of bed and went into the bathroom without bothering to knock on the closed bathroom door. She came face to face with a very naked Klaus brushing his teeth. "Good morning," he said. "Nice to see you're up." He spat in the sink and rinsed it out, and then came toward her, untying her robe and letting it fall to the floor. "Remember what we're doing this weekend," he reminded her. "No clothes allowed."<p>

Selina shrugged. "I suppose it's only fair that there be equal opportunities for oogling in this house." She grinned. "You know, there's something I've been meaning to do for awhile and now is the perfect time."

"What?" Klaus asked.

"Another one of many fruitless attempts at full body tanning," Selina said.

"Would you mind if I watched?" Klaus asked.

She winked. "Whatever works for you."

He followed her up to the roof, where Selina had had an inground pool installed. "Could you possibly go into the water and come slowly back out again?" Klaus asked.

"Why?" Selina asked him.

"It was a dream I had one night," he said. "We were back on the island and you were coming out of the ocean. We made love in the sand and then went under a waterfall to wash off. Afterwards, you were eating fruit. Well, you weren't actually eating fruit, you were sucking on it very slowly, but-" He paused as she picked up a piece of pineapple from the plate she'd brought out with her and began sucking on it. "Yes," he said as she pulled the fruit out of her mouth and put it back in again. His mind was beginning to wander and all the blood was leaving his brain and traveling downward. She bit down on the pineapple and swallowed. Then she put the plate down and pulled him on top of her. "Let me make your fantasy come true," she said. He kissed her and she ran her fingers over his engorged penis, kissing the tip. "Don't hold back," she said.

He growled and pulled her forward, entering her, thrusting so hard that he broke the deck chair and they both went tumbing to the hard ground of the roof. They paused for only a moment to get their bearings again and then began devouring each other and rolling around so that one was on top and then the other. Then, they rolled into the pool and gasped at the shock of the cold water, pulling apart. They resurfaced and dryed each other off thoroughly.

Then they headed inside. "Where should we go next?" she asked.

* * *

><p>They spent the rest of the day getting to know each other and by the time they both were ready for bed, they fell asleep the second their heads hit their pillows.<p>

Selina woke up very early the next morning, just as light was pouring into the bedroom windows. She rolled over and noticed that Klaus hadn't bothered to tuck himself in. Every inch of him was visible to her, including his magnificent length. She threw the covers aside and snuck out of the bedroom, grabbing a handheld video camera to film him as he slept. When he opened his eyes, she didn't bother putting the camera away. "See anything you like?" he asked dryly.

"Duh," Selina said. "I wouldn't be filming it if I didn't like it, now would I?"

He got up and put his arms around her. "And what inspired this little project? Other than the sheer magnificence of me?"

"Well," Selina said, "I thought that I'd like to have a film in case you ever have to leave for a long period of time, ans you and I can't-"

"Say no more," he said, taking the camera from her. "Go sit on the sofa in the living room and I'll be with you in a bit."

Selina sat on the sofa and waited. After what seemed like an inordinately long time, Klaus finally came out to join her, dropping a tape in her lap. "For you," he said. "And I'd watch it in the bathroom if I were you."

Just then, the phone rang. Klaus went to answer it and came back wearing a sour expression. "That was my mother," he said. "She claims she needs me for the rest of the day."

He grudgingly went to get dressed and then drove away to meet his mother. Selina sighed and grabbed a tiny television, taking it into the bathroom and attaching the camera to it. She popped in the tape and turned it on. She'd only watched for a couple of seconds when she felt herself gasp. She backed onto the toilet and slipped off her pants and underwear, slipping her hand between her thighs. As she watched, she began rubbing herself, harder and harder. She gasped and moaned, with the end of the video allowing a release for her that brought her down on the bathroom floor. By the time she turned off the tape, she was flushed, sweating and soaked, but as satisfied as she could be on her own. Wincing, she got up slowly from the bathroom floor, breathing hard. She was probably very bruised by now, but she didn't care.

She got out of the bathroom and went to her bedroom to dress. Then she left the house and drove to Elissavetta's, knocking on the door.

"What do you want?" Her mother in law answered when she opened the door.

"Can I come in?" Selina asked.

"I suppose," Elissavetta said and motioned for her to come inside.

"Where's your son?" Selina asked.

"I will not tell you that," Elissavetta replied. "He's busy now and cannot be distracted."

"I bet I can distract him," Selina said.

Selina found him in one of the little-used rooms of the house. "Hey," she said.

He looked up. "Have you watched the tape yet?"

Selina chortled. "Have I watched the tape...of course I have. Thank you so much for that, by the way."

Klaus grinned and got up from where he'd been sitting. "You're welcome," he said. "Have you fed yet today?"

"No," Selina shook her head. They went into the city and feasted on a group of joggers, leaving their bodies strewn on the ground. Now, Selina was bouncing up and down like an over eager child. "What are we going to do now?" She asked.

Klaus looked at her. She'd killed the joggers without a hint of remorse. She was eager to do more. He felt his stomach sink. He was getting the same feeling he'd gotten in Alistair's manufactured vision. If he kept pushing her, she'd be out of control, and that just wouldn't do. The whole point of their relationship was that she was a good person with a secret bad girl in her that needed to be let out occasionally, he was...well, he was himself. Nothing pleased him more than making her do violent and naughty things and seeing the look of pleasure mixed with shame on her face afterward. He'd have to fix this. If she went bad, it would just mess things up.

"What are we going to do now?" Selina repeated.

"I'm going to take you home," Klaus said. "And then I'm going back to my mother's. I'll be home tonight and we can talk then."

She pouted. "That's no fun!"

He sighed. He couldn't take much more of this, but what could he do to bring her back to her old self? It was something to think about.


	41. In the Headlights

Instead of heading to his mother's after he dropped Selina off at the house, Klaus went to Elijah's.  
>"What now, Niklaus?" Elijah asked. "Are you and Selina fighting again?"<br>"No," Klaus shook his head. "But I have a question: can you teach me to be as...restrained as you?"  
>"So things aren't going well, like I said, and now you're punishing her by witholding sex. That's not going to solve anything, you know."<br>"I'm not witholding anything," Klaus said. "No reason both of us should be miserable. But I've just been given cause to reevaluate my and Selina's relationship."  
>"So you want to start acting more like a normal person and less like an animal?" Elijah said. "What inspired this?"<br>"Selina," Klaus said. "We were feeding and she got a little too enthusiastic for my liking and I'm starting to feel like I'm losing her."  
>"I agree that not encouraging this behavior as you so often do might bring her back to her senses," Elijah said. "But do you honestly think you can keep up the pretense that long?"<br>"Yes," Klaus nodded. "I think I can."

* * *

><p>Klaus went home and found Selina sitting on the sofa waiting for him. Of course she wasn't wearing anything. "Hey," she said when she saw him. "Remember our rule for this weekend.." she grinned playfully at him and began unbuttoning his shirt, but he stopped her. "No, no," he said. "I think we should um, uh..."<br>Selina was nibbling on his ear now. "Should what?" she ask.  
>"I think you should get dressed and we should watch a movie," he said.<br>Selina looked at him, nonplussed. "Watch a movie? That's the best idea you can come up with?"  
>"Well it wouldn't hurt us to do something a little different every now and again, would it?" he asked.<br>She grinned. "You don't sound very convincing. What's going on?"  
>"Nothing," Klaus said. He slowly backed out of the living room and came back with a blanket, which he threw over her. Then he went and rummaged through her movies, trying to find the least sexiest one. He returned a few minutes later and showed it to her.<br>"E.T.?" she said. "You want us to watch E.T.?"  
>"Yes," he said. "What could be better than a movie about a lost alien who just wants to find his way home?"<br>"I can think of a lot of things," Selina said. Klaus ignored her, stuck the DVD in the player and turned off the lights.  
>Selina was restless throughout the film. Klaus watched her face. She winced constantly and at one point, she reached out her hand and slowly unzipped his pants, feeling him up.<br>He forced himself to relax. It was just a test, he said to himself. If he didn't encourage her, she'd tire soon enough and get back to normal.

But it didn't stop. Although he managed to keep almost entirely calm (how, he didn't exactly know), finally, it just became too much. He looked into her eyes, picked her up, and carried her to their bedroom. "Yay!" she crowed. "I win!"

"Shut your eyes," he grinned. "I want it to be a surprise." She did as he asked, but instead of setting her down on the bed, he took her into the bathroom and set her in the shower, turning the spigot to cold. She screamed and looked up at him. "What the hell did you do that for?" she asked. "It was cold!"

Her body was soaking wet and covered in goosebumps. He pulled her up. ""You need to calm down," he said.

She frowned. "You could have just said that. You didn't need to go and soak me!"

He cocked his head. "Did I make you angry?" He asked. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," she glared. "Sure you are." She gave him a good hard shove and he hit against the doorframe.

"So you aren't going to play nice?" he asked.

She laughed. "You really are a clever manipulator, you know," she said. "You can't stand it when I'm the one who takes the initiative for us to have sex, so you have to turn it around and make yourself be the hero."

His eyes iced over. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," he said. "Why would I be against something that makes me feel good?"

"Why'd you stop me then?" Selina countered.

Klaus shut his eyes. "Because," he said, his voice tight with tension, "I think we should just try some new things that don't involve sex, that's all. It won't kill us."

She burst out laughing. "Would you listen to yourself?" She asked. "I don't believe a word of this."

"Believe it," he said.

"You are so stupid," she said and turned away in disgust. She wrapped the blanket tighter around herself and made her way out of the room, but as she made her way toward the kitchen, she let it drop again. He breathed in sharply. "Calm," he told himself. "Stay calm."

He followed her to the kitchen and grabbed her roughly, pushing her against the sink and kissing her once, soundly.

"What was that for?" She asked.

"Savor it," he said, doing his best to look away from her body. "It's all you're getting today." She grabbed the sponge from the counter and threw it at his head.

* * *

><p>Once Selina was alone in the kitchen, the phone rang. "Hello?" She said when she picked it up. She gasped. "Mama, is that you? What do you want?" She shook her head. "No, I don't think that'll be a good idea. He's not really good around people."<p>

"Well if you married him," her mother countered, "he should meet the family. And why did you and Damon break up anyway?"

"It's hard to explain," Selina said. "But to keep it short and simple, I'm no longer in denial about what I am like you and the rest of your family!"

"What?" Amelia asked. "We are _not_ in denial about it! It's been accepted as a fact for years!"

"Oh, yes," Selina said. "Then why are you such a prude? You really need to work on being more open, you know?"

"It's because we're among people," Amelia said patiently. "And do you think I wanted you to end up riddled with bullets and stabbed like your Uncle Jacob? I saw what he looked like after they were done with him and it wasn't pretty."

"What happened to Uncle Jacob will not happen to me," Selina said. "I know this for a fact."

"But back to the business at hand," Amelia said quickly, "I will see the two of you tomorrow? 7:00 PM sharp?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mother. We'll be there."

"What was that?" Asked Klaus, coming up behind her and throwing a loose dress over her head. "There," he said. "At least you're covered up now."

"That was my mother," Selina said bitterly. "She and my father want to have a family night with both of us in attendance. You think you're up for it?"

"Sure," he said. "Sounds good. When are we going?"

"Tomorrow night at seven," Selina told him. "That gives you some time to prepare yourself."

* * *

><p>"I am so dead," Selina said, slamming the door to the boarding house shut.<p>

Margaret came to join her. "What's the problem now?"

"Mama wants to meet Klaus tomorrow!" Selina cried out. "That's not going to end well at all!"

"Why would it possibly end badly?" Margaret asked.

"Because!" Selina said. "He's an Original for god's sake! And what if he and I...during dinner? Something like that could happen. Don't think it can't."

"So just tell him how important it is for him to be on his best behavior," Margaret said. "If he likes you as much as I believe he does, he'll listen. Now, we have one more thing we have to deal with. Damon!" She called.

"What?" he asked, coming down the stairs. He saw Selina and his expression soured. "What's _she_ doing here?"

"Apparently, her mother wants to have some sort of meet and greet with Klaus and she's nervous about it," Margaret said.

"So?" Damon shrugged. "Why should we care?"

"Because," Margaret said patiently, "we're all too old to be acting like petty children. What's the matter with you?"

"What do you mean?" he asked increduously. "She strung me along for I don't know how long and then..."

"Oh, there's the pot calling the kettle black," Selina said. "If we're talking about that, your offense with Katherine is _far_ greater than anything I ever did with Klaus."

"No, it's not," Damon said. "We never actually did anything. She left me!"

Selina's eyes narrowed. "Oh, boo hoo."

He got up again and for a second, she thought he was going to strike her.

"Hey, hey, hey," Margaret said. "Enough! It doesn't matter what happened now, or who did what to whom in the past. The point is, now that the air has been cleared, you two need to move past it."

Selina and Damon looked away from one another and didn't speak.

"All right," Margaret said. "I suppose we'll have to do this the hard way." She looked at Selina. "Do you think Mama would mind having a couple extra people at the party?"

* * *

><p>That night, Klaus was nervous about meeting Selina's parents, so he, Elena and Stefan went out.<p>

"Her parents really aren't that bad," Stefan said as he stared intently at a group of miniskirted young women coming out of the Grill. "Granted I don't know her father as well, and her mother might be mad at you for taking Selina away from my brother, but I think as long as you don't cross any lines, you'll be all right."

One of the girls twisted her ankle and then Stefan sprang. A minute later, the girl was dead, her blood spattered all over the sidewalk and Stefan's mouth and clothes.

"My turn," Elena said and went after the busboy who was wiping off one of the outdoor tables. It took her a little longer and he almost got away, but she was victorious in the end.

"So why are you telling us this?" She asked when she came back, licking his blood off her lips. "Do you want us to come with you as back up or something?"

Klaus shook his head. "No. Actually it's not her parents I'm worried about."

"Then what is it?" Stefan asked.

"Her father doesn't like me much," Klaus said. "It's obvious why."

"Yeah," Stefan nodded. "You're doing his daughter. But that has to be a phase. He'll get over it."

"Do you need us to come with you?" Elena repeated.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "I'll figure something out."

* * *

><p>"I need your help," Klaus said to Elijah.<p>

"What?" Elijah asked. "Why?"

"I have to meet Selina's parents tomorrow," Klaus said.

"So?" Elijah asked. "If you've been practicing being normal, I don't see the problem."

"But what if I relapse?" Klaus said. "What if I unintentionally start feeling her up or something? That's not going to make a very good impresion."

Elijah took a gulp of brandy. "So what would you like me to do?" He asked.

"Tell me what to do," Klaus said. "Tell me what to say in case things get bad."

Elijah frowned. "You mean fed you lines?"

Klaus nodded. "Yes, that's it. Exactly!"

Elijah rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right," he said. "If you're really that desperate..."

"Oh," said Klaus, "I assure you I am."

* * *

><p>When Klaus and Selina arrived at the restaurant the next evening, they found they were not the only invitees. Selina knew about Margaret and Damon of course. It made her nervous. Maybe her mother would try and push her back at Damon again. She hoped that Margaret would stand firm about who was with whom. They took their seats across from Tyler and Caroline, who had also been invited. Caroline seemed to have recovered nicely from her encounter with Klaus' stepfather at their would have been wedding, and Selina was glad that Elissavetta had finally found fit to let Tyler go. They chatted for a bit and then the waiter came over and asked if anyone would be having wine.<p>

"None for me," Klaus said. "It's best if I don't."

"You don't drink?" Selina's father asked, eyeing Klaus keenly. "Why is that? Are you a recovering alcoholic?"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "I just never took to the stuff."

"Isn't that admirable, Daddy?" Selina asked.

"I guess," her father grumbled.

They lapsed mostly into idle chatter about the restaurat decor and the flower arrangements after that.

Finally, Klaus cleared his throat, letting his eyes drift over to where Elijah was hidden. Elijah locked eyes with him for a moment and then he turned back to Selina's father.

"I have nothing but the utmost respect for your daughter, sir," he said.

"You should," her father barked. "Enough men have wrecked her in her life. Including me. It's about time she had some consideration."

"Daddy," Selina blushed. "Please."

Klaus watched her as the evening went on. She seemed to be on her good behavior. But then he felt something. He looked down. She was playing footsie with him under the table. He tried to control his breathing.

He looked up. She had that dangerous twinkle in her eye. He sighed. Her father already hated him. There was no way to make it worse.

"What do you want?" he mouthed.

"Car," she mouthed. "Come with me."

She stood up. "I think I left my purse in the car," she announced.

"I'll come with you to look for it," Klaus said.

They kept a leisurely pace until they were outside of the restaurant and then sprinted for the car. They climbed in the backseat and began undressing one another. Selina smiled as he kissed her. "I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away for long."

"Your father already hates me, so who cares?" He eased her skirt and panties off and after working his way down her torso and planting a few kisses on her hip, he entered her. She breathed hard. "Yes," she said. She reached over and unbuckled him, pulling his pants down a little to give him more room. He shifted a little and her hips rubbed against his. She squealed.

"Do that again!" she said.

He kissed her. "All right," he said. "Once more." She screamed again. When she began breathing heavily, he reluctantly pulled out of her. "Why did you stop?" She asked.

"We have to go inside before they start wondering where we are," he said. "Do you want everybody to come out and find us?"

"No," Selina sat up and eyed him resentfully. "Let's go inside."

They went inside, self consciously trying to keep the wrinkles out of their clothes.

"Where's your purse?" her mother asked.

"Oh," she said. "It turns out I didn't need it after all."

They sat down and continued eating. Just as dessert arrived however, someone caught Selina's eye. A redhead in a green mini cocktail dress came to the reservation desk and began talking to the host. Selina couldn't hear what they were saying, but he kept looking over in their direction and gesturing. Finally, the redhead turned and began striding toward them. When she reached the table, she smiled at Klaus and kissed him deeply. "Hello, lover," she said. "Long time no see."

"Who's she?" Selina and her father asked at the same time.


	42. Loved and Lost

"Well?" Selina asked. "Aren't you going to answer the question?"

Klaus waited until the redhead pulled away. "Well," he said finally, "this is um-"

"Ena," the woman stuck out a hand. "Vanessa Shannon. How do you do?"

"All right, I suppose," Selina said. "What brings you here? To our table?"

Vanessa looked at Klaus. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" She asked.

"No," Selina said quickly. "He isn't. We were in the middle of something and you weren't invited, so you need to go."

Vanessa pulled her hair out of its hold so it fell freely over her shoulders. "I'll go when I choose," she said. "Not before." She sat herself down on Klaus' lap. He started but said nothing.

Everyone else looked at one another and said nothing. Finally, Selina stood up. "I have to go," she said. "I'll be at home when you're ready." She looked meaningfully at Klaus. He gave her a look. He hadn't planned on Vanessa showing up, but if he'd have known she was, then he would have let Selina know.

Selina left the restaurant and walked home instead of taking the car. By the time she got inside, she changed out of her dress and into an overlong t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. She wasn't mad. She wasn't even surprised. He'd been alive for a gazillion years longer than her. Of course he had past lovers and there was no way he could tell her about _all_ of them. She tried to read a book, but that failed. She tried to get to bed early, and that _definitely_ failed. She didn't even pull out the tape and watch it in the bathroom. Finally, she just made herself a pot of coffee and watched infomercials until Klaus came home.

"What are you still doing up?" He asked curiously. "I would have thought you'd be in bed by now."

"You would think that," she nodded. "But there's the small matter of the redhead who showed up at dinner."

"Oh, yes," Klaus said. "You're upset about that. And I admit that she didn't show up at the most opportune time-"

"I'm not mad," Selina said. "You've been around. I'd be stupid if I believed you've never been with anyone else before. In fact, not only would I be stupid, I'd be delusional." She sat in silence for a moment. "So," she said finally, "how long were the two of you together?"

Klaus sighed and sat next to her. "It's not exactly like that," he said. "Vanessa's not just a woman I was with. She was responsible for all of this."

"All of what?" Selina asked curiously.

"Vampirism," Klaus said matter-of-factly.

Selina's eyes widened. "What the hell?"

"It's true," Klaus nodded. "She's not really a person, to be honest. More of a spirit."

"Oh," Selina nodded. "So I can't kill her if she comes near you?"

He grinned. "No, she'd probably finish you off first."

"What the hell is she?" Selina asked. "Should I be worried?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I don't even know why she's here."

"Just tell her to go away," Selina said.

"I don't think it will be that simple..." Klaus trailed off.

Selina began rubbing her temples. "What's happened to us?" She exclaimed. "To you? We used to be so-so tough and then this _woman_ or whatever the hell she is, comes along and you turn into mush. You're not the man I married. I don't even know you anymore!"

Klaus frowned. "You take that back."

"Make me," she said. "Prove me wrong. Go out there and impose yourself on others! Or at least find out why she's here so I can figure out some way to fight back!"

"No," his eyes narrowed. "You aren't going to have any part in this. It's too dangerous!"

Selina put her hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?" She demanded. "You think I'm too weak to fight back?"

"If we compare you and her," Klaus said, "It would be like a six week old kitten trying to fight off a German Shepherd. She'd crush you. Is that what you want?"

"What are you going to do then?" She asked. "Are you going to tell her to go away, or are you just going to let her trap you all over again?"

"You don't know anything about it!" Klaus explained.

Selina rolled her eyes. "Well I would if you told me!"

He shook his head. "I can't." he said.

"Why not?" She asked.

"Because I don't know how yet," he said. "Maybe I'll tell you sometime, but now you just have to trust me, all right?"

Selina rolled her eyes and collapsed on the sofa. "All right, fine."

Just then, the front door opened and Alistair came striding in, a woman with worm brown eyes and honey blonde hair trailing behind him. He gazed at them. "So," he said. "I see the house is still standing. Can I assume everything went all right here while I was gone?"

Klaus and Selina looked at one another. "Yeah," they nodded. "Great. Absolutely nothing bad at all happened."

"Good," Alistair nodded. He gestured for the woman to step forward. "This is my girlfriend Astrid."

"Hello," Selina said. "Lovely to meet you."

Astrid grinned. "Alistair was worried all the way over here that we would arrive and find the place burnt to the ground."

"Was he?" Klaus asked. "I can't imagine why."

Alistair cleared his throat. "Astrid, that's Klaus, and that's Selina."

Astrid looked at her. "That's a very interesting name."

Selina nodded. "Thank you. My mother picked it out. Greek mythology, you know. Depending on the time period, Selina was either the the moon goddess, had governance over wild animals, or both."

"And either one would fit you," Klaus said. They snickered.

"Wait a minute," Alistair said. "Something _is _wrong."

"What?" Selina asked. "No it's not."

"Oh, please," Alistair said. "You're both fully clothed and sitting on opposite ends of the sofa. Did you two have another fight?"

"I met her parents today," Klaus said. "We're recovering."

Alistair's eyes widened. "You met her parents? How did that go?"

"Well enough, I guess," Klaus shrugged. "Her father hates me."

"Yes, welll that's because he met Aleksandr before he met you and so he kind of likes him better," Selina said helpfully.

Klaus turned. "Is that why? I thought it was because..."

Selina nodded. "Probably because of that too."

Alistair sat down. "You two behaved yourselves, right?"

Selina nodded. "Yes we did..."

"Until she got bored and started playing footsie with me under the table," Klaus finished. "And then she just had to have us run out for a quickie in the car."

"Oh," Selina glared. "Like you didn't want it just as much as I did!"

Alistair gave Selina look. "That's the sort of thing I expect from _him_," he said, gesturing at Klaus. "I expect better from you."

"What?" Selina asked, crossing her arms and pulling up her knees. "That is _so_ not fair! I have needs too, you know."

"Yes, I understand that," Alistair said patiently. "But you have to repress them until you're in the proper time and place. You're good at that."

"Is this because I'm a woman?" Selina asked. "Do I have to be up on a pedestal and saintly all the time just because of what I was born as?" She growled. "Men! I don't believe this..." and stomped off.

"What was that all about?" Astrid asked. She looked like she was about to rip his head off as well.

"I didn't actually mean that," Alistair said quickly.

"Well then what did you mean?" She asked.

"Well," Alistair sighed. "There's something you need to understand about these two. They're.._different."_

"Different how?" Astrid inquired.

"Well," Alistair said. "You've heard of vampires."

"Yes," she nodded.

"You've heard of werewolves?"

"Of course."

"Well they're both," Alistair finished.

Astrid's eyes widened. "How is that possible? I thought our council made that impossible."

"Yes, well they found a loophole, what can I say?" Alistair finished.

He looked at Klaus, who was eyeing him with something akin to admiration. "What?" He asked.

"You said something undeniably chauvinistic to Selina and yet you're still alive," he said. "I salute you."

"It wasn't as bad as it sounded," Alistair said. "I didn't mean that she wasn't allowed to be sexual, just that there's a time and a place for that sort of thing. Something you'd do well to learn yourself."

Klaus sighed. "Now that Selina's gone, I can tell the truth, I guess. Something _did_ happen: Vanessa showed up. Just out of the blue, no warning or anything. Do you think she sensed that Selina and I are getting close?"

"Maybe," Alistair nodded. "This can't be good."

"What's going on?" Astrid asked.

"The woman who turned me has come back," Klaus said. "Like she does every time she thinks I'm getting too close to somebody. It's a long story, really, so you might want to sit down..."

At that moment, Selina came back downstairst to grab a pop from the fridge. She was about to go into the living room to apologize to Alistair, but something told her it would be best to stay where she was...

* * *

><p>"The last thing I really remember about being human," Klaus said, "was that I was about to be married. My mother thought she had found a suitable match for me and things were arranged just so. I didn't meet my betrothed until our wedding day, however, and when I saw her, I decided I couldn't go through with it. She wasn't the most horrible looking woman I'd ever seen, but she wasn't pretty either."<p>

"Is he always this shallow?" Astrid whispered to Alistair.

"Shhh..." Alistair said. "Let him keep going."

"So," Klaus continued, "I left the place where the ceremony was to be held and went out into the woods. There was a river that ran through them and I liked to sit on the banks and think. But as I neared the river, I heard screaming. A woman crying out for help. I began running faster until I came upon her. She had been bathing in the river, but a current had caught her and was threatening to sweep her away. I dove in after her and managed to bring her back to the bank. When we were clear of the water, I gave her my cloak to cover herself up with. She shook out her long red hair and gazed at me with deep blue eyes.

"Thank you for saving my life," she said. "What can I do for you in return? Any wish you'd like granted? What brings you out into the woods by yourself?"

I looked away. "I'm to be married today."

She smiled knowingly. "But that is not your wish?"

"No," I said. "I'm not ready yet. I don't know if I ever will be."

"I can grant you three wishes," she said. "Would your first be eternal freedom?"

"I nodded. "Yes," I said. "I want never to marry."

"All right," she nodded. "What do you wish next? To save your looks? You are so perfectly made that to lose them would be a pity."

"Yes," I said as she stroked my cheek. "Please give me that."

"And last," she said. "What would you like last?"

"I would like to live forever," I finished. "And my family as well. All looking as we do now, never aging a day..."

She grinned. "Of course. The eternal carefree handsome bachelor. You're no different from other men, are you?"

"I shook my head. 'I don't think so'. She nodded. "All right," she said. "You will have as you ask, but you must give me something in return so this can work."

"What?" I asked.

"Your heart," she said simply. "Why would you need it if you desire to always be free? Without your heart, you'll not be held hostage by foolish romantic notions of love. You won't miss it at all, I promise."

"But if you take my heart, won't I die?"

She shook her head. "Not necessarily. Or at least not permanently. Now shut your eyes. You may feel just a little pinch..."

I shut my eyes and felt the most horrible pain I've ever experienced. I screamed. I yelled. I struggled. When it was all over, I opened my eyes. My heart was lying next to the bank, blood flowing from it into the cold, clear river water. I put my hand to my chest, knowing I would find a gaping hole, but found nothing. "What did you do?" I asked her.

"I've removed your heart," she said. "Now you may go on in life without any fear of being locked away by one woman. You can have all the women you want."

I grinned. "Well, thank you," I said. "Thank you very much...?"

"Ena," she finished. "Just call me Ena. Good day." It was later she changed her name to Vanessa.

Then the sun hit my eyes and I shut them. When I opened them again, she and my heart were gone.

* * *

><p>"Let me get this straight," Astrid said. "You threw away a perfectly decent woman because she wasn't pretty enough?"<p>

"Well it's a fact that you can't have a relationship without _some _level of physical attraction being involved," Klaus said defensively. "You just can't. You don't march up to someone at a bar and say 'excuse me, I love your personality. Can I get you a drink?' It's looks first and _then_ personality later. Everyone's shallow to a certain degree."

"Hmph," Astrid said.

"So is that all there is to the story?" Alistair asked.

"No," Klaus said. "I'm afraid there's more. And it gets worse. During the days leading up to my wedding, one of the serving girls had caught my eye. She actually was a lot like Selina. She was different than the others, more focused on her position in the household, taking it as it was, rather than using it as a way to advance herself in life. While I'd gotten all the other girls in my bed, the only time _she_ came near it was to change the sheets and blankets in the morning. She lived with her mother and sisters outside of town. Her family was ill and she was the only one strong enough to keep up their tiny little hut in the village. She was tiny with green eyes and wheat colored hair.

"Did you try to get her into your bed?" Astrid asked. "Offer her money so that her family might be made well again in exchange for her favors?"

Klaus shook his head. "No," he said. "I couldn't do that. Her family was as good as dead at that point and there was no good in pretending otherwise. So I left her alone, thinking that once her family_ was _dead, she'd come around."

"What was her name?" Alistair asked.

"Lili," he said quietly.

"Was the real reason why you left your wedding that day because you wanted Lili instead?" Astrid prodded.

"I could never have her," he said. "At least not breathing, anyway. A few days after my encounter with Ena, I began to feel strangely. The bloodlust, I guess. Mad with it, I went to my room, hoping to lie down for just a little while. Lili was there, changing the sheets.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said. "I'll soon be out of your way if you can just wait a minute-"

"No," I interrupted. My voice was raspy. I was having trouble breathing. "I need-I need-" That was when I ran at her. She stopped straightening the sheets and screamed. She tried to get out the door, but I wouldn't let her. I cornered her by the window. "No, sir" she said. "Spare me, please..." She began to sob. Then, she turned away from me and threw herself out of my third story window. I looked down. her body was bent at a strange angle. I ran from the room and down the stairs to the front of the house where she lay. Much of her body was broken, but she wasn't dead. I got down on my knees beside her, kissed her once, and then drank from her lustily. "Goodnight, my darling," I said. I buried her in the dirt near the house and I left home, never returning. Soon afterward, I saw Ena again.

"Why the long face?" She asked. "Don't tell me you're having regrets already."

"No," I shook my head. "Of course not. Where are you off to? I'll come with you."


	43. A French Twist

That night, Klaus felt heavy. He just wanted to go to sleep. He opened his and Selina's bedroom door and started a little. She was standing beside the bed, holding the sheets. "I did some wash today," she told him. "It was probably about time, right?" Her lip quirked.  
>"Yes," he said. "Yes."<br>She put the sheets and mattress cover down on the floor beside her and picked the cover up. "Would you help me?" She asked. "Take the right corner."  
>He was still staring at her. He blinked and then grabbed the right corner and together they got the cover on the bed and then the sheets, and then the blankets. "Are you all right?" She asked. "I was in the kitchen when you told Astrid and Alistair your story."<br>"You were?" He asked. "I didn't want you to hear that! I-"  
>She shrugged. "What's wrong with it?" She asked. "You ran out on a marriage you didn't want and in the early days of your bloodlust you killed somebody." She shrugged. "It happens."<br>"I would have thought you'd be angry," he said.  
>"Why?" She asked. "Was I around then?" She pulled the sheets aside and began undressing.<br>Klaus watched her. "About Vanessa..." he said.  
>Selina turned around and pulled off her shirt. "Who?" She asked.<br>"The woman at the restaurant," Klaus supplied.  
>"Oh," Selina nodded and wriggled out of her skirt. He breathed in sharply. "What about her?"<br>"She's...troublesome," he said. "I told her I didn't want to fall in love and..."  
>"What's the problem?" Selina asked. "You aren't, are you?"<br>"No," he shook his head. "Of course not. Are you?"  
>She laughed and stripped the rest of the way, climbing into bed. "Of course not. I mean, there's a reason why neither of us was ever interested in marriage, was there? Your mate wasn't pretty enough and in my world, the whole goal of women was to grow up stupid and pray that one day some man would be kind enough to take you into his home and let you cook and clean for him at the same time you were bearing his children." She scoffed. "Some life, huh?" She eyed him. "Coming to bed?" She asked.<p>

"Have I ever refused that offer?" He asked, grinning. He boosted himself up beside her and lay her down underneath him, kissing her deeply. She sighed with satisfaction. "So," she said, "now that that woman is back, what are we going to do? Do you want me to just stay away from you so it doesn't seem like you're attached to anyone?"

He shook his head. "Of course not, that would be foolish. We'll just stay the way we are, since as you pointed out, we don't have any _real_ attachment to one another that would put us in danger."

"So," Selina shifted. "Just because my curiosity's peaked, what would happen if she _did_ come across you falling in love with someone?"

"That person would die," Klaus said flatly. "Because of the deal I made with her, there's no way she'd let me fall in love. That's why she took my heart as part of the deal; to make sure that wouldn't happen."

"Well that's just ridiculous," Selina giggled. "If she wanted to stop you from having feelings for people, whether they be loving feelings or lustful feelings, she shouldn't have taken your heart. She should have taken either your genitals or your brain because those are what are involved in love/lust reactions. The idea that the actual heart has anything to do with love is purely a romantic notion. The ancient Egyptians for example, believed that the vein in the left middle finger led straight to the heart and that's why wedding rings are always put on that finger."

He turned. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yep."

He smirked. "Good thing she's more romantic then literal then."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "It wouldn't have done you much good to go hundreds of years without your man parts."

He nodded. "Tell me about it."

"It wouldn't have done many other people much good either," Selina winked. "Do you think she's curious about me? I saw her looking at me funny when we were at the restaurant."

"Of course she was looking at you funny," he nodded. "She only comes around when she suspects I've gotten feelings..."

"So she hasn't been around much, then?" Selina finished.

He shook his head. "Not for five hundred years."

"Wow," Selina said. "So let's keep it low key," she said. "Find some definite way to assure her that we're in no way romantically involved with one another."

"Which we aren't," Klaus said. "So that should be easy. We're just two people who happen to live in the same house and enjoy having sex with each other."

Selina nodded. "Exactly. That's all we are."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Selina asked as she and Klaus dressed.

"Someone on the phone," Alistair called back. "I think it's Vanessa."

"I'll take it," Klaus called. "What have you told her?"

"Nothing," Alistair said, cracking the door open and handing Klaus the phone. "Just that you were here."

As Alistair gave up the phone, Selina headed out the bedroom door and met Astrid in the living room. "That was some story that Klaus told about his life," Astrid said. "It almost makes me regret calling him shallow."

"Well he _is_ shallow," Selina nodded. "But then again, so am I, so I guess we're a good match."

"Do you love him?" Astrid looked at her quizzically.

Selina shook her head. "No. People who are in love take time to build up their relationships and know what kind of food the other person likes to eat, what movie the person likes the best, their favorite color, their favorite song..."

"And you and Klaus never talk about any of that?" Astrid asked.

Selina shook her head. "We're trying that," she said. "We have to tell each other ten things each about ourselves. He's at six and I'm at two."

"They mainly stay in bed all the time," Alistair said helpfully. "They'd never come out if I didn't make them."

"Well," Selina said, drawing herself up. "If you weren't dating Alistair and saw Klaus naked you wouldn't want to get out of bed either."

Astrid's eyes widened.

"Selina," Alistair chided, "Remember what we said about proper topics for conversation? This isn't one of them."

"Oh," Selina said without a blush. "Sorry."

"All right," Klaus said, coming into the room with the phone in hand. "She wants to come over."

"When?" Selina asked.

"Tomorrow night," Klaus said. "She wants to meet you, Selina."

"Well we knew _that_," Selina said. "Who else would she want to meet?"

Klaus gave her a look.

"So," Alistair said, standing up. "This is good that we have forewarning. It gives us time to prepare."

"Prepare what?" Selina said.

"Lots of things," Alistair said. "Especially things concerning you."

"I'll behave myself," Selina said. "I don't want to get any of us killed."

Alistair nodded. "Good. Now what's our plan of action?" He asked, looking at Klaus.

"You can ask me," Selina said. "I'm capable of coming up with plans and being duplicitous."

"I don't know..." Alistair said, eyeing her skeptically.

"Just trust me, will you?" Selina said. "Everything will be ready when she comes tomorrow night."

* * *

><p>Selina was gone most of the next day. She left after lunch and still wasn' back twenty minutes before Vanessa was due to arrive. "Try calling her," Klaus said. Alistair dialed. "No anwer again," he said. "I wonder where she could be." Just then, there was a knock at the front door. Klaus sighed. "There's Vanessa," he said and opened the door. Vanessa was wearing a dark blue minidress with a matching ribbon on the shoulder. "So," she said as she stepped inside. "Where is this girl you've been seeing? You aren't in love with her, are you?"<p>

"Of course not," Klaus said. "We took care of that years ago. You know I tell you that every single time you show up."

"So where is she?" Vanessa asked. "I _know_ I saw you with a girl."

"We don't know where she is exactly," Alistair said finally.

"I'm right here," a voice called. "What made you answer the door? You know that's my job." They looked on in shock as Selina stepped into view. She was wearing the very revealing uniform of a French maid and her hair was piled on top of her head and pinned with a little ruffle on top. She smiled when she saw Vanessa. "_Bonjour_," she curtsied. "It's an honor to meet you. I'm Jeanette, the maid."

Vanessa turned to look at Klaus. "What is this fascination you have with the help?"

"What is she implying?" Selina asked Klaus.

"She believes you and I are sleeping together," Klaus told her.

"Oh," Selina nodded, a mischievous grin curving her lips. "That we are."

"At least she's honest about it," Vanessa said.

"What would I have to hide?" Selina asked.

"Well, as long as you aren't in love with him," Vanessa told her.

Klaus and Selina looked at one another for a second and then burst into simultaneous laughter. "Love?" Selina finally managed to choke out. "What would make you think that we're in love?"

"I didn't think you were," Vanessa said. "I just wanted to make sure of it. I worked very hard so that he'd be able to live an existence of freedom with no silly romantic attachments whatsoever."

"Oh, I agree," Selina nodded. "In Paris, we are of that mind. Love affairs are daily things for us. They end as quickly as they begin. You have been to my city?"

Vanessa nodded. "Paris? Yes, of course I have."

"Well then," Selina continued, "surely you know why at least I had trouble with monogamy? It's so refreshing to find someone around here who is of that frame of mind as well." She gave Klaus a wink and a shiver of desire went through him.

"I'm relived," Vanessa said, standing up. She looked at Klaus. "When I got an inkling that you were with someone, I just had to come and see for myself. You understand."

At that moment, Rusty came into the room, yapping shrilly.

"Who's that?" Asked Vanessa. Her nose wrinkled.

"This is my dog," Selina said, picking him up. "His name is Rusty."

Klaus was eyeing Selina, jealous of the dog that was nearly nestled neatly between her breasts. "So," he said. "If that's all you came for Vanessa, then can I assume you're satisfied with what you see?"

Vanessa nodded. "I suppose," she said. "It's good that I worried for nothing this time."

Klaus nodded. "All right, out you go then!"

"Wait a minute!" Selina said.

Klaus and Vanessa turned. "What?" Klaus asked.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Selina asked Vanessa. "It would be rude of us to not offer you anything after you've come all this way to pay us a visit."

Vanessa smiled. "I don't eat," she said lightly. "But I wouldn't say no to a drink."

"Of course," Selina said, leaning down to put Rusty on the floor and then standing back up again. "What will you have?"

"White wine, please," Vanessa said.

"All right," Selina nodded. "Anybody else?"

"I'll come help you," Alistair told her. He followed her into the kitchen. "Why did you invite Vanessa to stay for a drink?" He asked.

Selina giggled. "Did you see the look on Klaus' face? He's going crazy!"

"Well of course he is," Alistair said. "Look at the way you're dressed!"

Selina looked down at the dress she wore. "I got it in the adult section of the costume store. Glad to see it's so effective. Could you reach the white wine? It's on a shelf that I can't reach."

Alistair got the wine down and poured it into four glasses. "I assume you won't be having any?" He asked Selina. "It might look suspicious if you do."

"Don't worry about it," Selina told him. "I'll have a drink later."

Just then, Klaus entered the kitchen. "How are things going in here?" He asked. "Do you need any help?" Selina took up the tray with the wine glasses on it and backed away from the counter, giving Klaus a good look at her legs. The short outfit made them look really, _really_ long.

"No," Selina grinned. "We're fine." She put a hand in the center of his back and pushed. "Now you just go back to the living room and make small talk, won't you?"

"That's really not what I want to do right now," he said.

"I know what you _want_ to do," she said. "But good things come to those who wait."

Klaus looked at Alistair. "Alistair," he said. "Take the tray from her, would you?"

Alistair nodded. "All right." He took the tray from her and then Klaus grabbed Selina around the waist and shut them both in the coat closet. Once they were inside, he planted a kiss on her lips and began working his way downward.

"Wait just a minute," Selina said, shoving him away halfheartedly.

He shook his head. "If I was capable of waiting, do you think we'd _be_ in this situation?"

"Well you were the one who wanted me to make it look like we weren't romantically involved," Selina said, and then moaned as he peeled her dressed off and then began massaging the inside of her thigh.

"I know I said that," he told her, "but that doesn't mean showing up in a skimpy outfit."

"I couldn't find a maid's uniform anywhere else, all right?" she said and let out a squeak. He eased her up against one of the closet walls. "Would you like some help?" She asked him, and then began unzipping him before he had a chance to reply. He growled softy as she slowly ran her hands over him. "Don't," he said at last. "If you keep going on like this, they're going to come looking for us."

Selina kissed him one last time. "All right," she said. "But we're heading straight to our room as soon as Vanessa leaves."

Klaus breathed heavily. "I have no objection to that," he said. They dressed quickly and straightened out their clothes before rejoining everyone else with an air of exaggerated dignity.

"Where were you two?" Vanessa asked, putting her wine glass down.

"Closet," Selina blurted out. "Looking for my coat. Cold and flu season is coming and as my mother told me, you can never be too careful."

"And the closet's deep," Klaus added. "So it never hurts to have an extra pair of hands when you're looking for things."

After that, the room lapsed into awkward silence while everyone sipped their drinks. As soon as Vanessa's was gone, she looked up at the clock. "I had no idea how late it was," she said. "I'd best be going."

"It was lovely to meet you," Selina said. "Will we being seeing you again?"

Vanessa eyed Selina keenly. "Perhaps you will..." she said, her voice trailing off. Selina handed her her coat and she left the house.

"That was close," Selina said, taking a deep breath. "Do you think she's on to us?"

"No," Klaus said. "How could she be?"

"Exactly," Alistair said. "You two disappearing into the closet for as long as you did wasn't suspicious at all."

"I don't see why that would be a problem even if she _did _figure out that that was what we were doing," Selina said. "Isn't it her goal to make sure you have as much mindless sex as possible?" She asked, looking at Klaus.

He nodded. "Yes, I believe that _was_ the deal." He looked her over again.

Alistair rolled his eyes. "Oh, for heaven's sake, you two. Go to your room if that's what you have in mind. Can't keep your hands off each other for two seconds, can you?"

"No," Selina grinned. "We can't keep our clothes _on _each other for two seconds, either."

Klaus and Selina kept their eyes on one another and then he picked her up and carried her off to their room. "Who's idea was it not to include underwear with this dress?" He asked when he watched her undress again.

"The costume company's," Selina said. "I guess they're smart enough to know what it's going to be used for, and knowing that decided to make things easier on their clientele." She took a deep breath as she stood naked before him.

"Let me take your hair down," he said as she crawled into bed and ran her hands over his bare chest. "I want to play with it for a little while."

She grinned as she lay down and he ran his hands over her breasts and down her body. "You can play with whatever you want."

* * *

><p>Vanessa parked her car in front of the old cottage and strode inside. "So?" asked the auburn haired woman who looked up at her as she came in through the door. "Are you in trouble?"<p>

Vanessa shook her head. "Relax," she said. "It's nothing serious. Just a little French tart, apparently."

The woman breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," she said. "Because you know what happens if he falls in love."

Vanessa nodded. "It's the end for both of us. Our powers will disappear and Enid will gain control of everything!"

"And we can't have Enid take control," the woman said. "That's the last thing we want."

Vanessa smiled. "Relax, will you Hazel? It's just a mortal woman. Nobody dangerous. Nobody to worry about. Now if she were a vampire or a werewolf-"

"But she's not!" Hazel cut her off. "So let's not even talk about it!"

"By the way," Vanessa said, "Alistair was at the house too. He has a new girlfriend. Next time I see him, you want me to tell him you say hello?" She laughed as her sister's eyes widened and then Hazel ran from the room without speaking.


	44. Under Cover

Selina woke up early the next morning, just as the sun was coming up. She threw her bathrobe on and then went to the kitchen to cut up some pieces of fruit, and then stuck them on a plate and took it up to the roof and then grabbed the video camera and the tripod and took that up to the roof as well.  
>She turned the camera on and then after shrugging off her robe, she climbed into the pool and did a few laps and then climbed out and slowly dried herself off. Then she did her morning yoga and ate her breakfast. She switched the camera off and took the tape out, putting it in the pocket of her bathrobe and then took everything back inside and stuck the tape under Klaus' pillow with a note taped to it that said 'Enjoy this,' and then headed in to shower.<p>

* * *

><p>Klaus woke up as soon as the shower flicked on. He pushed the covers aside, got up and knocked on the bathroom door a couple of times. After a few minutes, Selina opened it partway and stuck her head out. "Sorry," she said. "Did you want to shower first?"<br>"Who says we have to take turns?" He asked. "We could just do it at the same time and it would go quicker."  
>Selina shook her head. "Oh, no." She said. "I have stuff I want to get done today that involves me leaving the house and if I shower with you, then..."<br>Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Then...what?"  
>She rolled her eyes. "You know what!"<br>He nodded. "Oh, you mean this?" He put his arms around her and kissed her. She managed to squirm out of his grasp and get under the water, but he followed and shut the shower door behind him.  
>"We can't do this now," she said. "Look under your pillow. I made you a tape. That should hold you off until I get back tonight."<br>He shook his head and turned the spiggot for the shower a little so that a blast of cold water hit her in the butt. She shrieked and fell into his arms. "Why hold off until later what could easily be taken care of now?" He asked.

Selina just glared at him and shivered a little. "Turn the water back, please," she said.

He gave her a look. "In a minute," he said.

Selina shook her head. "No, right now. I have to shower, and then I have errands to run and..."

He cut her off. "Don't think about that," he said. "That stuff can wait."

She rolled her eyes. "And let me guess: you can't."

He nodded. "Obviously."

She sighed. "Fine, let's just go ahead and..." He picked her up and clutched her to him. Her hands ran over his back and he kissed her once on the lips and then she pulled away as he ran his lips down her body. When he entered her, she shrieked and ran her fingers through his hair. She panted. "Stop," she said. "Stop, stop!"

He looked at her. "Why?" He asked. "Is something wrong?"

She shrugged. "No, I just never really liked doing it in the shower. Can't we do it in bed instead? There's more room to roll around."

He nodded. "You make a good point." He turned off the shower and put her down and then they stepped out and toweled each other off before running to the bed and continuing what they were doing. When they paused to catch a breath, she looked up at him. "My God, you're good," she said. "Have I ever told you that?"

He shook his head and grinned. "No."

"But I shouldn't be surprised," she said. "You've had several hundred years of experience, after all."

"But that doesn't guarantee anything," he said.

"Oh," Selina nodded. "Because you're used to having the women you sleep with please _you_ without you giving a damn about what makes them happy?"

He nodded. "Exactly. You're probably the most frustrating woman I've ever been with."

"Ah," she grinned. "That's just what every girl longs to hear."

"You don't understand," he said. "I've had to _work _to impress you. That's never happened before!"

Selina's lip quirked. "Oh, I _am _sorry that for once in your thousand year existence, you had to actually work to impress a woman."

"But it was worth it," he said.

Selina grinned. "Oh, I should think it was," she said. "Otherwise you wouldn't have tried so hard."

"And I've been having a lot of fun trying," he said.

"So," she said, "are you good at least until tonight?" She asked. "I have to go now."

He sighed. "All right, fine. You can go." Reluctantly, he threw the covers aside and let her get out of bed. She smiled and patted him and then went to get dressed.

* * *

><p>Around lunch time, she stopped at a little cafe and sat down at a table that was ordinarily meant for several people. She ordered a coffee and while she was waiting for it to cool down, she looked up and saw people coming toward her: Alistair, Vanessa, and another woman she'd never seen before. When they reached the table, Alistair grinned at her. "Would you mind if we sat down for a minute?" He asked.<p>

"No," Selina shook her head. "Go ahead. I'm not waiting for anybody."

They took three of the empty seats and peered at her. "So," she said. "What's going on?"

"Alistair was just telling us the most fascinating story about you and Niklaus," the new girl said.

"Was he?" Selina asked. "What story?"

"About how you and Niklaus are getting along so much better now than you were before," the girl prompted. "Is it true?"

"Actually," Selina said, "You couldn't really say that we get along _well_, but I mean..."

"Any day they haven't killed each other is a day they get along well," Alistair broke in. He gestured at the new girl. "This is Vanessa's sister Hazel."

"Nice to meet you," Selina said. "So what brings you here? And where's Astrid?"

"Astrid had a lunch date with some friends of hers," Alistair explained. "And Hazel and I had some catching up to do, so-"

"I have a question," Selina said. "Alistair, would you come with me a moment?"

He nodded and got up to follow her. When they were far enough away, she put her hands on her hips. "Who is that Hazel woman? Klaus told me that Vanessa is some sort of weird nature spirit. Is Hazel the same sort of thing? A spirit of nature in human form?"

"Yes," Alistair said. "Before I joined Niklaus, I was a member of a neo-pagan tribe in Cornwall. Hazel was one of our goddesses."

Selina's eyes widened. "Is that so? What does she want?"

Alistair shrugged. "I don't know."

"Do you really think you should be telling her and Vanessa if Klaus and I are getting along well?" Selina asked. "If I remember correctly, Klaus told me that anyone he takes a fancy to will end up dead at their hands!"

"Relax," he said. "If I know you two, nothing good will ever last long enough for the situation to become dangerous. Now let's get back to the table before they suspect anything."

"Everything all right?" Hazel asked when they got back to the table.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I just had to ask Alistair about a thing I have to do tonight."

"Now," Vanessa said, "about you and Niklaus, just how serious are y-"

At that moment she broke off. "Well, look who it is!" She cried out. Selina looked up and saw Klaus ambling toward them, arm in arm with three giggling, stupid looking girls. "Hello, everyone," he said. "Why didn't anyone _tell _me we were having a party? I might have missed it!"

"Are you drunk?" Selina asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "Very. But don't worry. It doesn't get in the way of any of my abilities," he tilted his head toward the two blondes on his right. "Just ask them."

Selina glared at him. "I don't think I need to," she said. "I'll take you at your word."

"Who are these people?" Vanessa asked.

"Oh," Klaus said. "My day staff." He swayed. "Jeannette there only works nights."

Selina rolled her eyes. "I think I'll be taking the night off. And I'm going to start right now."

Klaus had been nibbling the ear of one of the girls, but stopped as Selina stalked away. "No, don't," he said. "Who'll be with me tonight?"

Selina turned. "Ask one of them," she said, trying to keep control in her voice. "I'm sure they'd be willing to work overtime."

* * *

><p>Klaus went home that night and found Selina sitting forlornly in front of the television that wasn't on. "What's going on?" he asked.<br>She didn't move. "Nothing. I didn't think you'd be back tonight..."  
>He looked her over. "I can see that." She was wearing grungy, oversized sweats. "And that's the look that says 'stay away from me.' What's the matter?"<br>Now she moved. "How can you ask me that?" She said. "You know I saw you out and about today with those girls. What were you thinking?"  
>"I was <em>thinking<em>, he said carefully, "that I didn't want vanessa to believe that I'd become attached to you, so I went out and got myself a little-"  
>"Okay," she stood up. "Just shut up right now. I can't listen to this anymore."<br>"And you're running away," he sighed. "Like you always do..."  
>She turned. "You want me to deal with this? All right." She transformed and ran at him.<br>"What are you _doing?_ He asked her as he deftly avoided her. When she sank her teeth into his leg, he groaned and decided to transform himself. They ran outside and sparred, jumping at one another, biting, nipping and growling, rolling around in the dirt.  
>Finally, when she was so bruised she could no longer move, he stood over her. She whimpered and slowly turned back. She lay there, panting, hurt and covered in dirt. "What are you going to do now?" She asked.<br>He cocked his head and gazed at her for a moment, then starting with her face, slowly licked the blood and dirt off her body. The friction of his rough tongue against her skin made her whimper and when she was finally clean, he changed back and carried her inside, putting the seat down on the toilet and setting her down while he filled the tub.  
>He sighed. "Can you get in by yourself?" He asked. "Or do you need help?"<br>She shook her head and limped over to the tub. "I'm fine," she snapped. But she struggled and when he offered her his hand, she took it. Once she was seated, he went to get dressed and then got down on his knees in front of the tub, soaked a sponge, lathered it up with soap and began gently rubbing it over her body.  
>"What was that for?" He asked.<br>"What?" She replied. "The fight?"  
>"Yes," he nodded. "You were acting like you really wanted me to hurt you."<br>"I did," she said. "And you couldn't even give me that."  
>"You don't think you're hurt now?" He asked.<br>She shrugged. "You didn't do as well as you could have."  
>"I didn't want to," he said. "What's the matter? I thought you'd be all right with me being with other girls for now."<br>"Only if you'd be okay with a harem of men feeling me up," she said. "Would you be?"  
>He shook his head. "I don't think so," he said.<br>She nodded. "Exactly. That's it. You and I don't..._love_ each other, but we can't stand the thought of anyone else seeing each other naked...where does that put us?"  
>He sighed. "I don't know," he said.<p>

They sat in silence for awhile and then he looked over at her. "So," he said, "I'm going to go and shower. Will you be all right in here by yourself?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. "I'll be fine."

He got up from the floor and went to the bathroom across the hall, stripped down and scrubbed himself off. When he went back to the bathroom, the tub was empty. He saw that Selina was on the bed. "What are you doing?" He asked. "Why didn't you wait until I came back to get out?"

"Because I could get out just fine," She said. "It only hurt a little."

He sat down next to her on the bed. "Talk to me," he said. "Why are you like this all the time?"

"Like what?" Selina asked. "I'm not like anything."

"You like being angry," he said. "You pick fights all the time and...and I go along with it because it's the only way you let me get close to you."

Selina put the book she was reading down. "You're berating me for not being open with you?" She asked.

"No," he shook his head. "You can do whatever the hell you want. I don't care. I'd just like to know what the hell it is you want so I can respond accordingly."

She sighed. "We shouldn't be getting closer now. Alistair told Vanessa we've been getting along lately. Who knows what she's cooking up."

"So," he said, "Are you going to leave, or should I?"

"I don't think I should have to leave," Selina said. "I'm hurt."

"From a fight that you started," he said. "I'm not going to leave."

"Well," she said, "I'm not going to leave either!"

Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door and Alistair poked his head in. "Astrid and I are on our way to the concert," he said. "Do you two need anything before I go?"

"No," they said at the same time.

"All right," he nodded. "Fire extinguisher is under the sink and the emergency numbers are by the phone. I would tell you to have a good night, but I have no doubt you will." He grinned one last time and shut the door.

Klaus reached under his pillow for the tape Selina had made for him earlier. "I think I'll go have a look at this," he said.

"Enjoy it," she called after him.

* * *

><p>Back at their house, Vanessa and Hazel were in conference. "There's something suspicious about that maid," Vanessa said. "Today she didn't sound French at all."<p>

"So she isn't," Hazel said. "That doesn't necessarily mean we have to worry."

"But we might have to," Vanessa said. "She doesn't seem mortal to me. She seems like there's more to her. Did you get that?"

"Yeah," Hazel nodded. "We should go spy on her if only for our own piece of mind."

They took each other's hands and slowly faded away, landing in the bushes of Klaus and Selina's house. They didn't see either of them, but saw two wolves instead. The wolves were fighting, growling and pouncing on one another and snapping at each other with their teeth. Finally, the bigger one got the smaller one pinned to the ground. Then, they changed.

"It's them!" Hazel whispered. "Niklaus and the maid, Jeanette! She's a _werewolf!"_

_"_I can see that!" Vanessa snapped. "I'm not blind."

Klaus and Selina were rolling around now. Selina began moaning. "Oh," she said. "Oh, do that again!" She bared her teeth. "Do it again or I'll bite you!"

Klaus laughed. "Oh, go ahead," he said. "That would just make my night!"

He ran his fingers through her hair. "You're beautiful," he said.

"Do you really think so?" She asked.

He nodded. "Those other girls didn't mean anything. You know I only care about you."

Vanessa convulsed slightly. "I think I'm going to be ill," she said. "Did he just say what I thought he just said?"

"No," Hazel whispered. "He said he _cared_ about her."

"But that's one step down from love!" Vanessa whispere angrily. "We have to nip this in the bud right now!"

"So are we going to kill her?" Hazel asked.

"No," Vanessa shook her head. "At least not yet. We have to get Niklaus out of her grip first. That'll be easy. When you see Alistair again, Hazel, ask him what Jeanette's ideal mate would be. We'll create him and she'll never think of Klaus again."

"What if he says that Klaus is her ideal mate?" Hazel asked.

"Oh," Vanessa smiled. "He won't. I"ll go back to the house and get everything ready to make Jeanette's dream date."

"He'll be glad we did this," Hazel said.

"Yeah," Jeanette said. "Look at him out there. He must be miserable." And as Selina's shrieks of laughter rang out, they disappeared and went back to their house.


	45. The Great Outdoors

When Selina woke up the next morning, she was sitting in the passenger's seat of Klaus' car. "Where are we going?" She asked looking over at him.  
>"I was bored, so I thought we'd take a little vacation," he said. "Alistair went somewhere with Astrid and who knows when they're going to be back? It's not like they're going to miss us."<br>"And where are we going for our 'vacation'?" Selina asked. She peered out teh window. "It looks like we're in the middle of nowhere."  
>"Exactly," He nodded. "We're going camping."<br>Selina stiffened. "Why? I don't like camping. Bugs and dirt and...killing your own food." She shuddered. "Ick."  
>"And this is why we need to do it, princess," he said. "To get you back in touch with your animalistic nature that has been repressed."<br>"I like it repressed," she said. "Did you at least bring clothes?"  
>He shook his head. "No, why?"<br>Selina rolled her eyes. "Oh, my god. I don't believe this. I don't think I can handle this."  
>He looked at her. "This is so sad."<br>He found a large clearing and parked the car. "I think this will do nicely," he said. He exited the car and came around to open the door for her. "So," he said. "Are you coming out?"  
>She shook her head. "No, thanks," she said. "I think I'll stay here."<p>

He gave her a look. "Oh, come on!" He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her out. "No," she said. "No, no, no, no, no!"

"Are you scared?" He asked her. A spider crawling around a pile of leaves caught his eye. He put his hand down and let it crawl on him and then brought it up to show to her. "See?"

Selina shrieked. "Get it away, get it away!" She tore out of his grip and then took off running. He sped after her and pinned her against a tree. "No," she said. "No amount of that is worth this, all right? So let's just pack up our things and go home."

"All right," he said. "I thought you could handle this, though. I didn't know you were so delicate."

She frowned. "Just a minute! I'm _not_ delicate, okay? Right after I was turned, I ran away from the guy who turned me and lived in the woods for six months, so who are you calling delicate, mister?"

"The girl who screams her head off when she sees a spider, and is afraid of getting a little dirty," He said. "Don't worry, I won't make you do anything _too_ difficult. I wouldn't want you to break a nail."

Selina's eyes widened. "There you go, starting fights again!"

"Oh," he laughed. "I'm not the one who always starts fights. That's you. I just go along with it."

Selina shook her head. "That is _so_ not true. You're the one who starts things because you know that it'll get me naked. You're devious that way."

He laughed. "Stop being so predictable," he said. "For once, will you do something that will surprise me?"

"Oh," Selina locked eyes with him. "You think I'm predictable?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"Well, I'm not," she said. "I could do something shocking right now."

"Fine," he said. "Do it. And if it's good enough, then we'll..."

"I'll kill the next person that comes here," she said. "What do you think of that?"

His eyes widened. "You're bluffing."

She shook her head. "No, I'm not."

"Oh, yes you are," he said, pulling her to him. "You'd never kill anybody without provocation."

"What do you think this is?" She asked.

"You have a point," he said.

She pushed away from him and began making her way out of the clearing. "I hear noise," she said. "What do you think that is?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"People," she said. "It sounds like people. Oh, I wish we would have brought Rusty with us. He'd have been the perfect cover!" She growled and kicked at a clod of dirt on the ground.

"Are you really going to do this?" He asked.

She nodded. "Of course I am. I said I would, didn't I? What do I get when I come back?"

"It's a surprise," he said.

"Could I have a little preview?" She asked, sticking her hand underneath his shirt. "Come on. You know you want to give me a preview."

She could feel that he wanted to, but he stayed restrained. "No," he said. "You have to deliver first. I'm not giving you something for nothing."

She giggled. "You always give me something for nothing."

He pushed her away and turned her so she was facing forward. "Stop stalling," he said, giving her a shove and transforming behind her. He nudged her forward with his snout. "Hey!" she cried. "All right, I'm going!" She transformed herself and then the two of them followed the sound of the voices to a campsite full of environmentalists, protesting the cutting down of a historic old tree. The trunk was large all the way around and four of them had chained themselves to it. Selina sneezed and growled. This wasn't the way she'd wanted this to go down. She'd wanted them running and screaming and terrified. Oh, well. This would have to do for now. She stalked into the sight of the people tied to the tree and dove for their picnic table that was covered with the remains of their lunch. Burger wrappers and napkins went flying everywhere. She growled again, catching the attention of four more students who were carrying picket signs and chanting "Save the tree! Save the tree!" Her jaws fell into a grinn and she pounced. They dropped their signs and ran, but she was quicker. Klaus followed close behind, but didn't go after anyone himself.

When one of the guys tripped over a tree root and twisted his ankle, she jumped him. He looked up at her, gabbling soundless pleas. But she paid no attention. She picked up her paw and swiped it across his neck. The welts were deep and blood welled up quickly. She bent her head down and lapped it up with her tongue. But the boy was still alive, despite being badly injured. After she'd had a little blood, she went straight for his throat, ripping it clean out. The others screamed at the sight of him. Once she was sure he was dead, she turned around and eyed the rest of them. Blood was dripping from her jaws.

They made the mistake of running as well and to Klaus' surprise, Selina made quick work of them. Once the ground was littered with their lifeless bodies, she transformed back, her mouth and body spattered in blood. "So," she said, licking some blood off her bottom lip. "What did you think of that?"

"I think you cheated," he said. "I don't think that really counts."

"How could that not count?" She asked incredulously. "Look at all these dead bodies! I killed them, you saw!"

He kissed her and then looked at her pityingly. "But you did it as a wolf," he said. "That isn't the same thing as killing someone when you're consciously aware you're doing it."

Her eyes widened. "You mean, you want me to kill someone when I'm like this?" She gestured down at herself.

"Of course," he said. "I mean, in addition to what you've already done. I take back what I said. It does count. You have to start somewhere, I guess."

She backed away. "You're trying to make me as twisted as you, aren't you?" She asked, her voice shaking. "That's why you consciously want me to kill people!"

"You have to accept what you are," he said almost gently, running his fingers through her hair. "You won't be happy until you do."

"No," she shook her head. "Consciously killing people will not make me happy...ever!"

He rolled his eyes. "Here we go again," he said.

Selina turned to walk away, and then something caught her eye. "Look," she said. "A cabin! We could spend the night in there and we wouldn't have to be in all the dirt! Let's go!"

"You can go in there," he said. "I'm going to stay out here. Enjoy sleeping alone."

She paused at the cabin door. "Seriously?" She asked. "You want to roll around in the dirt and the bugs and..."

"Yes," he nodded. "How many times do I have to say it? Come on, take a risk. You've already done it once today. What's a little dirt between friends?"

She turned away from the door. "Would you clean me off again?" She asked.

He grinned. "I think that's a given."

They spent the rest of the day looking around the woods and as night fell, Selina made up a fire and they lay beside it and looked up at the stars.

"It's a beautiful night," she said. He turned his head to look at her. "Yes," he said. "It is. And you _do _realize you're lying in dirt right now?"

"Well yes," she nodded. "But nothing's touching my bare skin, so that's different."

He gazed at her for a moment and then took her hand in his, bring it slowly to his lips and kissing it. She breathed in sharply. "Cabin," she breathed. "Now."

He sat up and peeled his shirt off. "If you're so desperate," he said, "wouldn't it just be quicker to stay here?" He peered at her inquisitively. "Hmmm?"

"It's supposed to rain tonight," Selina complained. "I don't want to be dirty _and _wet."

"Do you know how to put up a tent?" He asked her. "I put one in the trunk of the car because I knew you'd complain."

"No, I don't know how to put up a tent," Selina snapped. "Do I _look_ like the kind of girl who knows how to put up a tent?" She stood up and glared at him.

"Well if you don't go get the tent," he said, "then it's the ground for you, because we aren't going to the cabin."

"Fine," Selina said. "But just so you know, I'm having a very bad time."

He grinned to himself as she stomped off back to the car to grab the tent. When she got back with it, she struggled to put it up. "You know, you _could_ help me, you know," she said to him. "It would go a lot quicker if you helped instead of sitting there laughing at me like that!"

He watched in silence as she struggled to stretch the tent canvas over the poles and then fell down face first into the dirt. "Just think how good you'll feel knowing you accomplished this," he said. "You get the tent put up, and then you'll really _deserve_ what we're going to do."

She struggled a bit more and then finally stood back and admired her handiwork. "Look!" She crowed. "It's standing up on its own! It didn't even fall down this time!"

He grinned. "See? And you did it all by yourself."

She looked up at him. "But look at me now. I'm all sweaty, dirty and covered on blood."

He locked eyes with her. "You are, aren't you?" He asked. "Let's just get you out of those clothes, then."

"But you said we didn't bring anymore," she countered.

"We didn't," he said. "But what does that matter?"

"It matters a lot," she said. "We're practically in public! I don't want to strut around naked when we're practically in public. More tree-hugging environmentalists could come along any minute!"

"So," he said, unzipping her sweatshirt to reveal her lowcut top and planting kisses downward. "We'll kill them again if they come near us."

She moaned. "No," she said. "No more killing."

He eased her down so that she was lying on her back in a pile of leaves with the tent over them. He pulled up her shirt and ran his hands over her stomach. His hands were cold. She shivered. When an owl cried, she jumped.

"It's all right," he whispered.

"It's just that I'm cold," she managed to get out.

He pulled her shirt off the rest of the way and leaned over her, kissing her deeply. When he pulled away, she was breathing hard. "Don't tell me you're tired already," he said. "We haven't even gotten to the good part yet."

She shook her head and put her arms around his neck. "No," she said. "Keep going."

"All right," He lay her back down again and she wriggled out of her jeans and panties.

"Feel better?" He asked her as he stared down at her body.

"No," Selina shook her head. "You haven't done anything yet."

"Stay here," he said. He got up and left the tent, returning a few minutes later with some rope.

"What's that for?" Selina asked.

"A new game," he said.

"Is this a variation of our usual game?" She asked. "Are you going to tie me to a tree and make me do stuff?"

"No," he shook his head. "I figure that since we're in the woods, we should really make an effort to become one with nature."

"And what does that mean?" She asked. "It's something to do with sex, right? Because you can't just make me do a whole bunch of work and promise me sex and then not give it to me."

"I wouldn't do that to you," he said, looking genuinely appalled at the suggestion.

"Look," she said, "We can do your little rope game tomorrow. Right now, I just want something easy. I don't want to have to hunt for it, or chase after it, or whatever the hell else you have in mind."

Klaus dropped the rope down to his side. "But that's no fun," he said.

She sat up, got on her knees and crawled over to him. "How about you let me take the wheel tonight?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right," he said. "Do whatever you want. I don't care."

"All right," she said.

* * *

><p>They worked each other hard, and when they came to again, the tent had collapsed above them and they were both soaking wet and cold from the unexpected rain shower that had come after they'd fallen asleep.<p>

"Ugh! Jeez, I told you we should have gone into the cabin!" Selina cried as she shoved the blue canvas aside. "Now I'm wet and cold and have absolutely nothing to dry myself off with!"

She stood up and marched into the cabin. He followed her and was lucky to squeeze inside before she slammed the door closed. The cabin was a simple structure, one room with a bed in one corner, a kitchenette in another and a small chair and television in the middle. Piles of dirty clothes were everywhere.

"Not the nicest place," Selina said, grimacing. "But at least we're out of the rain."

Klaus picked up one of the crumpled, stained t-shirts from the floor and handed it to her. "Here's something to dry yourself off with," he said.

She shook her head. "I'm not putting that anywhere near my body. It's not even clean!"

He sighed and began rooting around in the piles of clothes for something that wasn't very dirty. "Put this one one if it worries you so much," he said, holding out an oversized red t-shirt. Selina studied it closely and then took it from him, dried herself off, and then pulled it over her head. "Aren't you going to put something on?" She asked him.

He shook his head. "No, I'm quite comfortable the way I am, thank you." He went over to the bed, got in, and peered at her. "If you aren't tired..." he said.

"I'm not tired," she said. "I'm cold!"

"Well if you came over here, we could huddle together for warmth and then you wouldn't be cold," he said.

"Fine," Selina said. "But I'm only doing this for body warmth purposes." He pulled the blanket over them and she frowned. "I repeat," she said, "I'm doing this for body warmth purposes only, so if you don't move your hand, you are going to be very sorry!"

She relaxed as he moved his hand, and then shut her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>When Alistair and Astrid arrived home, they found the note from Selina and Klaus telling them where they'd gone. "Out camping?" Alistair said, frowning. "That's unbelievable!"<p>

"Why?" Astrid asked.

"Because Selina hates nature," he said. "Six months trapped in the woods feeding on rabbit blood would do that to any vampire. I don't suppose they've killed each other by now."

"Do we want them to do that?" Astrid asked.

"No," Alistair shook his head. "They'll get along eventually. We just have to be patient."

Just then, there was a knock at the front door. Alistair saw who it was through the screen and told Astrid to stay where she was. "I'll get it," he said. He opened the door and found himself face to face with Hazel. "Hello," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm a little concerned about that maid of Niklaus'," Hazel said. "Actually, both Ena and I are. She's not really a maid, is she? Tell me the truth."

"Well," Alistair said, "no she isn't. She's-well, honestly I don't know what you'd call her. The love of his life that he won't admit is the love of his life?" He shrugged.

Hazel's eyes widened. "So he's in love with her?"

"No," Alistair shook his head. "Not exactly. Now all they'll admit to is a definite physical attachment, but not an emotional one."

"Oh," Hazel said. "But do you suppose there could be an emotional attachment in the future?"

Alistair shrugged. "I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Hazel shook her head. "I'm just curious. So Jeanette is more than just a maid."

"Her name isn't even Jeanette," Alistair said. "It's Selina. Selina Lockwood Warren."

Hazel's eyes widened. "Lockwood? So she _is_ a werewolf then? Oh, Vanessa isn't going to like this."

"Is there anything I can do?" Alistair asked.

"No," Hazel said. "All we can do now is wait."


	46. Suspicion

Selina opened her eyes the next morning and sat up, looking at Klaus. "Again?" She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I did it again!"

He turned and cracked an eye open. "Did what?" He asked.

"Ended up _here_!" She said. "In bed! With you!"

He sat up. "So what? I can't believe you're surprised. We always end up like this. We didn't even do anything last night," he said resentfully. "You wouldn't let me."

"Oh, please," she said. "It's not like I deprive you of anything physically, so stop whining. If anything, I give in to you too much. Hell, I'm practically a prostitute!"

"What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Well think about it," She said, getting out of bed. "I have sex with you, I live in your house, if I asked you to buy me stuff you would...sex in exchange for stuff is prostitution!"

He rolled his eyes. "Here we go again." He got out of bed himself and stared at her. "I'm going hunting," he told her. "Do you want to come?"

She shook her head. "No, I think I'll stay here. I've had enough of that, thank you."

He shrugged. "Your loss." Then he transformed and left the cabin.

Selina sat down on the bed again and took a deep breath. What would she do now? She needed to seriously reevaluate what she was doing with her life. She wanted to be a woman of power and substance and she certainly couldn't do that if she spent her days as mistress to a self-absorbed, physically overpowering man-child. "I have to leave," she whispered to herself. "That's all there is to it." She went outside and dressed, even though her clothes were wrinkly and crunchy from drying outside. She wasn't sure wher to go from here, so she just started walking. She would have taken the car, but that would be a dead giveaway that she was making a getaway. She walked for awhile and eventually found herself in the town nearby. Her feet were starting to get tired, her mouth felt cottony and every muscle in her body was beginning to cramp.

Luckily, she came across a non-descript white building. All the doors were locked except for one at the back. She opened it and walked inside, looking for a phone. As she was sticking her quarters in the coin slot, she felt a presence behind her. She turned to see a tall, burly man with a brown mustache speckled with gray, a bowl cut and black clothes. "Who are you?" He asked with narrowed eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Selina put the phone down. "I just came in to use the phone," she said. "Is that a problem?"

"Missy," The man said, "do you have _any_ idea where you are?"

She shook her head and gulped. "No, I don't. Where am I?"

"This is a private club," he said. "Not just anyone can come waltzing in here, especially not somebody like you. Now get out before I have to physically remove you myself!"

She turned to face him. "Listen buddy," she said. "I don't know what you're problem is, but I don't think I should have to leave here if I don't want to, so if you want me gone, then go ahead and do what you have to!"

* * *

><p>It was soon after that that Selina found herself on the pavement. Her elbow was scraped, her face covered with dirt, and her leg and knees bruised. She slowly sat up. "I didn't think he was going to take me literally," she said. "What the hell is his problem? It was probably some anti-woman club, she decided. She hadn't seen one woman in the entire place. Wincing, she struggled to her feet and began looking around her, trying to figure out what to do next. She was about to head toward the nearby bakery to call a cab when she heard a voice calling her.<p>

"Hey!" he said. "Hey!"

She turned. A young man with dark eyes, tousled dark hair, tight jeans and a concert t-shirt bearing the emblem of some rock group Selina wasn't familiar with was coming towards her. "Hey," he said. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just going to go down to the bakery to use the phone there."

"Why can't you use your cell?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't have one. It's at my boyfriend's house and I left him this morning."

"I'm sorry," he said. "Was he abusive toward you?"

She shook her head. "Not really. We were just at an impasse. Not really going in a productive direction. That's why I left." She gestured toward the building. "What's in there?" She asked. "Do you know?"

"Yes," he said. "It's a club that caters to a certain type of people. You wouldn't like it."

"Is it men only?" She pressed. "I didn't see any women."

He shook his head. "No, it's not men only, but not many women meet the qualifications to join, so we don't have many. Or _any_, at the moment."

"Could I ask what the qualifications are?" Selina asked. "Or are they none of my business?"

He avoided her eyes. "You wouldn't believe it," he said. "Most outsiders don't."

"Trust me," she said. "I'd believe a lot more than you think."

"All right," he said at last. "It's a club for werewolves who have been fully activated. There aren't many of us left and it's just nice to have a place where we can be around our own kind. You won't tell anyone, will you?"

She shook her head. "No, of course not. What's your name?"

"Oh," he held out a hand. "I'm sorry, I forgot about that. Pete Coulter."

She shook it. "Selina," she said. "Selina Lockwood."

His eyes widened. "You're a Lockwood? You wouldn't by chance know Mason, would you?"

"Yes," she nodded. "He's my...brother."

Pete frowned. "That's strange. He never mentioned having a sister."

"Well," she said, "after he left for Florida, we kind of grew apart. But I _am _related to him. I promise."

Pete nodded. "Come with me," he said. "I'll introduce you to everybody." He led her back into the building where they immediately ran into the bouncer who'd thrown Selina out. "What are you bringing her back in here for?" He asked.

"She's Mason Lockwood's sister," Pete said. "She deserves to be here."

They took seats at the bar and Selina ordered a Coke while Pete ordered a beer. "So," he said after taking a swig. "When did you become active?"

"Not too long ago, actually," Selina said. "My mother didn't want me to. Her goal was pretending that the gene didn't exist so we could live among the 'normal' people."

Pete winced. "Oh, that's rough."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Selina asked.

"Yeah," Pete nodded and leaned in closer. "I'm not really Mason's sister," she said. "I'm actually his very distant cousin. My name's actually Selina Lockwood Warren. I was born in 1846."

Pete's eyes widened. "1846? But then, how can you still be here?"

"I was turned into a vampire first, and then through a very complicated process, my werewolf gene was activated several months ago," Selina explained.

"Oh," Pete nodded.

She took another swig of her Coke and then she realized that the bar had gone quiet and everyone was staring at her. "What's going on?" She asked Pete.

He shrugged. "I don't know." He looked at the bartender. "Jack, what's going on with everybody?"

Jack cleared his throat and wiped his damp hands on his blue jeans. "Miss Enid's coming by in a little while," he whispered. "When she arrives, bring _her_," he eyed Selina, "to the conference room. Miss Enid will want to see her."

Pete nodded and downed the last of his beer, gesturing for Selina to get off the barstool. "Do you have somewhere to stay?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "Not at the moment, no. What's he talking about? Who's Miss Enid and why would she want to meet me?"

"I'll explain when we get to my house," he said. He led her to his motorcycle that was parked outside. "You sit on the back," he said. "Put the helmet on and hold on tight. We wouldn't want you to fall off."

* * *

><p>Alistair, Hazel and Astrid were sitting in awkward silence at the kitchen table when they heard the frantic knocking on the back door. Alistair got up to answer it and found himself face to face with Klaus. "Is she here?" he asked sharply.<p>

"Is who here?" Alistair asked.

"Selina!" Klaus said. "She's gone!"

"Gone where?" Astrid asked, coming up behind Alistair.

"If I knew that, would I be here asking you?" Klaus asked, glaring at her.

"All right," Alistair said. "We don't have anything to worry about. She's probably just blowing off some steam. Did the two of you have a fight this morning?"

"Not really," Klaus said. "She just accused me of treating her like a prostitute and then when I asked her if she wanted to come hunting with me, she said she wanted to stay at the cabin, and when I came back, she was gone."

"Have you tried calling her?" Astrid asked him.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "But she won't answer her phone."

"What did you do now?" Alistair asked.

"Nothing," Klaus said. "It's just her usual thing: she wakes up in bed with me and then she gets all offended and upset by it." He shrugged.

"Why would she be upset to wake up in bed with you?" Hazel asked.

"I don't know," Klaus said. "It's something about me always suckering her into it and not respecting who she is as a person and blah blah blah..." He took a seat and eyed Hazel balefully.

"Do you think she wants to have a real relationship with you?" Hazel asked. "Something based on more than just sex, I mean."

"Yes," he rolled his eyes. "She's always making me _tell_ her stuff about myself. But it's not doing us any good."

"The way you're talking, it seems like you feel something for her," Hazel said. "Otherwise, why would you want to find her so badly?"

Klaus glared at her. "We've been over this and over this," he snapped. "I love her body," he said. "She has the oddest effect on me. When I'm with her it's like I don't want to sleep with other women ever again. She's all I want. But just because I find her sexy, that doesn't mean I'm in love with her or would give a damn at all if something bad happened to her."

"You would," Alistair said. "Because if something bad happened to her, then you wouldn't be able to sleep with her anymore."

"True," Klaus said. "You have a point."

"So," Astrid said, "as of right now, you have no idea where she is."

"Exactly," Klaus nodded. "Could you tell me?"

* * *

><p>That night, Selina stayed at Pete's. "I'll make up the extra bed for you," he said. "And if you want to sleep in different clothes, I can give you one of my t-shirts."<p>

She nodded. "Thanks," she said. "Thanks for everything. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."

He grinned. "You're welcome," he said, and then left the room and returned a few minutes later with the t-shirt and a pillow. "I'll leave you to get yourself ready," he said. "And I'll be around if you need me for anything during the night."

She nodded. "Thanks again." He had his hand on the doorframe when she remembered that she had one more question. "Could you tell me about Miss Enid now?" She asked. "Why would she be so eager to meet me? I'm nobody."

"It's a bit complicated," Pete said. "Miss Enid is one of three sisters. Her other two sisters, Ena and Hazel, each have a supernatural realm they reside over: Hazel watches out for witches, Ena, who I believe goes by Vanessa now, looks out for vampires (she created them as a matter of fact,) and Miss Enid looks out for werewolves. Enid and Vanessa have been at war for years. Enid fell in love with a man but he was unfaithful to her, so in retaliation, she turned him into the first werewolf. She thought the painful transformation process would be punishment enough for her broken heart. She did that with all of her ex boyfriends. She got around, so there used to be a lot of us. And then Vanessa got jealous so-"

"So one day when she was in Eastern Europe, she promised a guy who'd run out on his wedding three wishes for saving her from drowning in a river. He wished to live forever, to be young forever, and to never have to feel love again," Selina interrupted. "He, along with his family, became the first vampires, who then began to spread vampirism and hunt Enid's 'wolves down one by one until there were hardly any left," Selina finished.

"Wow," Pete said. "How do you know all that?"

"The guy Vanessa granted the wishes to?" Selina told him. "He's my-I don't know what you'd call him. _Boyfriend_ is too childish a term, his mother made us marry, so I guess you could call him my husband, but I guess _lover_ would be the _most_ accurate term, although it's much too positive to describe what we have."

"And what do you have?" Pete asked.

"Sex," Selina said. "Lots and lots of it."

"Ah," Pete nodded, biting his lip on a smile. "You're the victim of a very active werewolf gene, aren't you?"

"Yes," Selina said resentfully. "Stupid gene."

He grinned. "It's going to be all right," he said. "Try and get some sleep and I'll have breakfast waiting in the morning."

"You cook?" Selina asked.

He nodded. "I certainly do." He shut the door behind him and Selina put her t-shirt on, snuggled under the covers and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Klaus didn't go to bed that night. Alistair found him on the living room sofa at four in the morning, watching infomercials. "Why aren't you in bed?" Alistair asked. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"<p>

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Why would I be having trouble sleeping?"

"I don't know," Alistair shrugged. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Selina's probably with another man right now," Klaus said, ripping apart the pillow he held and then slowly pulling out the white stuffing. "Another man, touching her, running his hands down her body, kissing her and touching her in places only _I _should be allowed to-this is all your fault!" Klaus snapped. "Why didn't you just do that tracking spell when I asked you to?"

"Because," Alistair said, "we can't always get what we want. You have to learn that."

"I'm going to go look for her tomorrow," Klaus said. "I don't need you." He grinned slowly. "And when I find her, she's never going to leave my sight again."

"That'll really help you have a stable, normal relationship," Alistair said.

Klaus glared at him. "Shut up." Then he stood up. "I feel much better now. I think I'll go to bed." He left the room and Alistair watched him go and sighed. Always the same thing.

* * *

><p>But it wasn't easy to find her without the tracking spell. Finally, after a week, he stumbled onto the place. He'd been drinking a lot and when he fell through the front door of the bar and struggled to his feet, everyone went quiet. He strode up to the bartender and pulled him up by his collar. "Where is she?" He asked. "I want her."<p>

"Who?" Jack asked, his voice shaky.

"Selina," He said bitingly. "I know you're hiding her somewhere. Where is she?"

When Jack said nothing, Klaus threw him to the floor and leapt over the bar, destroying all the alcohol. That got Enid's attention. "What's going on in here?" She asked, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes as she strode into the bar. "What's all this noise?" Klaus stood up and glared at her. "I want Selina," he said.

When she saw him, her eyes widened. "Of course you do," she said. "Right this way."


	47. Making Peace

Enid led Klaus to the back room where Selina stood tensely, waiting. "So there you are," he said.  
>She nodded. "Yeah, I'm here. What do you want?"<br>His jaw clenched. "What do you think I want?" He snapped. "I want you to come home with me."  
>"Why?" She asked. "So I can live the rest of my existence in depravity? No. I'm not coming with you. I'm staying right where I am. I'm happy here." She started to walked away, but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. "No," he said.<br>She turned. "Have you been drinking?" She asked.  
>He shrugged. "Maybe just a little."<br>She rolled her eyes. "Maybe a lot."  
>"Are you asking for a fight?" He asked.<br>She kept her eyes locked on him. "Why? Do you want one?"  
>He shrugged. "Sure? Why not?"<br>"Well in that case..." Selina strode up to the bar where Pete stood behind with his hand on the beer tap. "Rum and Coke," she said, hitting the counter with her palm. "And keep 'em coming."  
>"Why?" He asked. "I didn't think you drank at all."<br>She sighed. "Just do it, all right? Please? My ex is here, and he's drunk and..."  
>"You want me to take care of him for you?" Pete asked.<br>"No," she shook her head. "He'll kill you. Especially when he finds out that we..."  
>"Oh," Pete nodded. "Possessive type."<br>She nodded. "That's an understatement."  
>"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" He asked.<br>"Yeah," She nodded. "Get me drunk and I'll be fine."

Pete shook his head. "I really don't know about this."

"Come on," Selina said. "I can't fight him sober. We wouldn't be on equal footing."

"Have you tried talking to him?" Pete asked.

Selina laughed. "Oh, please. He doesn't talk. He's a man of action. Words don't affect him. So, rum and Coke?"

"Just one," Pete said as Selina rolled her eyes. "Then you have to deal with this."

He poured it for her and she downed it, then strode from the bar, toward Klaus who was standing with Enid. "So," she said, "here you are."

"Yep," he said. "Here I am."

"What do you want?"

"I think you know," he said.

She smirked. "You came all the way out here to ask me for that?" She said. "What's the matter? Couldn't find any bimbos to fill in for me?"

"Plenty," he said.

"Then what's the matter?" She grinned. "Couldn't finish the job? Are we having _problems?_"

"You seem pretty chipper for someone who's been celibate for an entire week," he said.

"That's because I haven't," she said grandly. "Despite what you think, there _are_ other men on this planet that I find attractive besides you."

He looked as if he'd been punched in the gut. "Is that so?" He asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "It is. So I'm afraid you'll have to go home and just take care of yourself because I have no intention of going back with you...ever again."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm sure. The only reason why you and I are together doesn't hold up anymore, since I've found other ways to entertain myself, so you can just go home."

Then she turned away, and as she turned, that was when he threw the punch then sent her sprawling to the floor. Her head hit the edge of a chair and she was knocked out cold. "I'll go home," he said to her prone body. "And you'll come with me."

* * *

><p>When she came to, she was lying in bed, but still dressed. That was a good thing at least. She sat up slowly and winced as she felt the bump on the back of her head. "What the hell happened to me?" She moaned.<p>

"You wouldn't come peacefully, so I had to use force," he said. "Trust me, I feel really bad about it."

"Of course you do," she said dryly.

"Hey, at least I didn't take advantage of the situation," he said. "I could have."

"But that wouldn't be any fun for you," she said.

"At this point, I'd take anything I could get," he said.

She sat up slowly. "You mean, you really haven't had sex with anyone since I left?" She asked.

"I tried," he said. "Believe me, I did. But it just wasn't any good."

Selina grinned. "Well I've often been told that I have a certain indefinable quality that makes it very difficult for men to be with others after they've been with me."

"Really?" He asked.

"I hope so," she said. "It's a shame you're the only one who's seen it. If the others had, then maybe my life wouldn't have sucked so much." She winced and rubbed her head again. "Did you really have to hit me so hard?"

"You would have fought me otherwise," he said.

She nodded. "Well yeah, there's a reason for that. I was going to come back eventually."

He gave her a look. "Were you really, or are you lying to me?"

"Well, hmmm. Let's see..." She screwed up her face as if she were thinking. "Would I leave the man with whom I have the best sex of my life. Hmm, hmm, hmm. That's a tricky one."

"You would," he said, sitting next to her on the bed. "You've done it several times. Are you ever going to tell me why you keep leaving?"

She sighed. "You know how we are," she said. "The whole reason we're in this whole screwed up relationship is for the sex, right? So why do I need to be around when we're not having sex? And I might feel ashamed of what we do because it's so-so-"

"Wonderful?" He finished.

She shook her head. "No. It's just, you and I, we're not-so us having sex like we do isn't-"

"May I remind you," he said, "that we have been married at least twice, so the first objection has no basis, and if you don't believe me, check the internet because I _know _that damn sister of yours put my toast up."

She giggled. "That was cute."

"I was drunk," he said sourly.

She shrugged. "I still think it was cute."

"And since the first argument isn't valid," he said, ignoring her, "the second one isn't either. So this running out isn't doing either of us any good."

"Wow," she said. "It actually sounds like you care about more than just using me as a containment vessel for your spawn. That's why this whole thing started, remember?And my mother always said-"

"Your mother?" He broke in. "You mean the woman who's been in denial about her nature her entire life and instilled the fear of it in you?"

"Yep," she nodded.

"The woman who forced you to live by human rules even though you yourself aren't human and never were?"

"Yep," Selina nodded.

"You need to tell her how you feel," he said.

Selina shook her head. "No, I can't."

"You have to," he said. "You've come too far to keep up the pretense that you're a human being anymore. And the only way you'll be happy is if you free yourself from your mother's rules and live the way you want," he said. "Without rules or constraints."

She rolled her eyes. "Living with you completely so you have someone to carry your spawn."

"That's what you think this is about?" He asked.

She nodded. "But now it's gotten all out of hand. I feel like someone who's become addicted to drugs or alcohol, except what I'm addicted to is having sex with you. It's not something I'm proud of. It's just something that is."

He sighed. "All right," he said and began stripping off his clothes. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Giving you what you came for," he said. "Then you can go scooting off like you usually do and I'll just stay here until you've got an itch you can't scratch."

"Have you completely lost your mind?" She asked.

"No," he shook his head. "If that's what you want, then that's what you're going to get."

She looked at him oddly. "Are you telling me that you of all people want _more_? The man who, a thousand years ago asked a freaking river fairy to grant him a wish so that he'd never have to have a meaningful romantic connection with _any_ woman, wants more from me then a tumble a few times a day?"

He was completely undressed now. He bent over her, his eyes blazing. "So what if I do?" he asked. "What does it matter if you're just going to leave like you always do? Hell, we may as well just screw each other until we don't have any breath left in our bodies if you can't bring yourself to stick around for the long haul."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he captured it in his before she could even get a breath.

She moaned in surprise and threw her arms around his neck as he stripped off her clothes. "You know," she said breathlessly, "You're a bad man. A very, _very_ bad man."

"Don't you forget that," he said with a glint in his eye. Then he pushed into her and she screamed, a scream that shook the chandelier above their heads.

When she got her bearings back, she let him go for a moment and fell back onto the mattress, breathing hard. "Wow," she said. "I needed that."

He grinned and ran his hands over her torso. "I know you did," he said.

She grinned. "Now I suppose you'd like something from me?" Her eyes traveled downward. "Yep," she nodded, running her hand over his length. "It looks like you do." She ducked under the covers to work on him for awhile and when she finally resurfaced, he swept her up again.

"You're really overdue, aren't you?" She asked.

He nodded. "Oh, yes," he said.

She breathed in sharply and grinned at him again. "Okay," she said.

* * *

><p>When he had finally fallen asleep, she dressed quickly and snuck out the front door of the house and drove back to her mother's. "Hi," her mother said in surprise when she saw her on the other side of the door. "We haven't seen you in awhile."<p>

"Yes, well," She strode inside. "We need to talk."

"What about?" Amelia asked.

"You," Selina said stonily. "And how you shot my life all to hell."

Amelia's eyes narrowed. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You _ruined_ my life!" Selina said. "If you had just been honest with yourself, it would have saved us both a lot of trouble."

Amelia was still frowning at her. "I don't like your tone," she said.

"Good!" Selina nodded. "I admit that the ruining of my life isn't _entirely_ your fault. Uncle Jacob's transformation and subsequent murder doubtlessly had a negative effect on you. But sweeping our werewolf heritage under the rug and pretending that it didn't exist wasn't the right answer, okay? Because it _does_ exist! You gave birth to me during a full moon, and because of that, I've always been more active than other people in the family. I've had urges that I had trouble controlling. Did I understand anything that was happening to me? No. I just grew up thinking I was a freak without knowing why! And I was forced to grow up in a society that seriously undervalued me as a person just because of my sex! All around me, humans that I was stronger than, faster than, more powerful than, were committing wrongs against me and controlling my life, when I could have easily stopped it, but _no_. We were living among _people_, so we had to follow their damn rules no matter how unfair they were," her voice broke. "Even when it meant great pain and suffering at their hands, we followed their rules. And we didn't have to. Well I'm done lying to myself about what I am. I accept it, I embrace it. And if that's a problem for you, then I'm more than happy to leave and not come back."

Amelia's eyes widened. "Oh, my God. Are you seriously standing there and telling me that you want to become a monster?"

Selina shrugged. "I already am," she said. "I have been for months."

"You want to _kill_ people?" Her mother's voice was shaking.

"That's just the way of things," Selina said harshly. "When wolves and foxes kill bunnies, do people yell at them and tell them they're wrong? It's nature. Animals have to eat, and some are hunters and some are prey. You can't avoid that, Mama."

"I know," Amelia said. "But we aren't animals, Selina. "We're people."

"You might be," Selina said. "But I'm not. Your stupid rules about what's proper and what isn't have stopped me from living a full life, from enjoying myself at all. But I'm done with that now. I'm going to live how I want and nothing you can say or do is going to change my mind!"

"Fine," Amelia said quietly after a moment. "But don't think you'll be welcome back here."

"Fine," Selina said. "I'll leave. Gladly." She turned on her heel and left the house, slamming the door behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Amelia burst into tears.

"What's the matter?" her brother Jacob asked, coming up behind her.

"My baby wants to become a monster," Amelia sniffled.

Jacob smiled. "Amelia, your 'baby' has had an engagement and two marriages as well as 145 years as a vampire. She's grown up now. It's time you let her live her own life. And she won't become a monster. She's been raised well enough that I have no doubt she'll maintain her morals."

Amelia managed a weak smile for her brother. "I hope you're right," she said.

* * *

><p>By the time Selina got back to the house, she felt horrible. She managed to make it back to her and Klaus' bedroom before she burst into tears. "What happened?" Klaus asked.<p>

"I was just disowned," Selina said. "I told my mother that I was sick of lying about my werewolf nature and she told me to leave and never come back."

"Did she really?" He came up behind her.

"Yes," Selina said. "And I know I should be over the moon about it because it finally means I'm free from all her stupid rules and we can leave here and go wherever the hell we want, but I just..." She stopped sniffling. "Sorry," she said. "I know you don't like it when I get whiny and sentimental."

"No," he said. "I know why you did this, don't I?"

She looked up at him. "Yes, I hope you do."

He sighed and held her. "I don't think you're going to regret this," he said. "I know it might seem difficult now, but you did the right thing."

Selina looked up at him. "Did I?"

"Yes," he said.

"Could you get me a drink?" She said. "Lots and lots of drinks? I just want to forget this ever happened, and then wake up tomorrow and just restart everything."

"All right," he said. He brought her drinks until she had trouble standing, and then he carried her to bed and made love to her, grinning to himself as he felt her relax, all of her tension draining from her body. When she finally fell asleep, she was smiling, and somehow he knew that she was finally at peace.


	48. The Difference Day Makes

When Selina opened her eyes the next morning, the first thing she did was smile. Her head hurt, but she didn't care. "Morning," she said.  
>Klaus was holding on to her. "Good morning," he said. "How are you feeling?"<br>"My head hurts," she said. "Why did you let me drink so much?"  
>"Because you asked me to," was all he said. "I'll go get you an aspirin and a coffee."<br>"Thank you," she said.  
>He got out of bed and threw the covers back over her so that they covered her head and then put some pants on. Then, he went in the kitchen. Alistair and Astrid were already up.<br>"You're up early," Alistair noted. "Is everything okay? Are we going to be treated to a play by play of your and Selina's latest fight?"  
>"No," Klaus shook his head. "We won't be fighting like we were anymore. She's decided to accept herself for who she is and she told her mother yesterday which led to them parting ways."<br>"Oh," Alistair nodded. "I see. How is she?"  
>"Better, I think," Klaus said. "You made coffee, didn't you? I let her overindulge last night. She was upset and it seemed like the most merciful thing to do."<br>Alistair grabbed the coffee pot, poured some in a mug and handed it to him. "So," Alistair said, "When are you going to break the news to Vanessa or Enid or whoever that you love Selina?"

"I don't think I'm going to volunteer that information unless it becomes absolutely necessary," Klaus said. "And even then, I wouldn't use that particular phrasing. It would only invite trouble."

"What kind of phrasing would you use?" Astrid asked. " 'I love her, but I'm not _in love_ with her'?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "That would work. I could tell Vanessa that Selina's like a sister to me."

"A sister you sleep with on a daily basis," Alistair rolled his eyes.

"Don't say that," Klaus said. "If you phrase it like that, it sounds wrong."

"Sorry," Alistair said. "Just pretend I never said anything at all."

They heard loud yawning coming from the direction of the stairs and a moment later, a disoriented Selina appeared, her eyes wide and unfocused, her hair in disarray, wearing one of Klaus' dress shirts.

"I thought I told you to stay upstairs," Klaus said as he caught her before she fell into Astrid's lap.

"I know," Selina said. "But I got tired of waiting. Ugh." She plopped down in a chair across from Alistair and lay her head down on the table.

"What did you do to her?" Alistair asked Klaus. "I've never seen her like this."

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know. She probably just didn't get enough sleep last night. Some coffee and a good hunt will cheer her right up."

Selina sat up. "I don't know if I want to go hunting," she said.

"All right," Klaus nodded. "Whatever. I can go myself and bring you something back."

She nodded slowly. "And in the future, whenver I tell you to let me get crazy drunk because something bad happened to me, tell me no and then put me to bed. I feel like hell."

"Stay in bed today," Alistair said, "and then tomorrow, we're going to go talk to your mother."

"No," Selina said sharply. "I don't want to. The whole reason why I left was so I'd never have to see her again."

"But you shouldn't end things like that," Alistair countered. "The woman is your _mother_."

Selina shrugged. "So?" She gestured at Klaus. "_He_ spends next to no time with his mother and I don't hear you berating _him_ about it."

"Well," Alistair said, "that's because in his case, distance is the best possible thing. You, on the other hand, have absolutely no excuses."

"You've never met my mother," Selina said. "You just want me to feel guilty. For once, Alistair, would you just mind your own business?" She got up and strode from the kitchen without another word.

The rest of them sat in silence for a moment, before Klaus said, "in the space of five seconds, Alistair, you managed to undo all the hard work the drinking did for her. Feel proud of yourself." He then filled up a coffee cup, located an aspirin, and headed upstairs.

* * *

><p>When Klaus finally reached their bedroom, the door was closed. He put the coffee down carefully and gave the door two sharp raps.<p>

"Come in," Selina's voice called after a moment. "Unless you're Alistair of course. Then go the hell away."

Klaus bit his lip on a smile. "It's just me," he called.

"Come in," Selina said, opening the door and then stepping aside to allow him into the room. She'd brushed her hair and was wearing a purple silk kimono.

"Did you still want these?" he asked her, holding up the aspirin and coffee.

She nodded and took them from him. "Thanks," she said, gulping everything down. "I was just going to take a shower. No point in moping around all day, is there?"

"No," he said. "Do you want me to wait for you so you can come out with me?"

"Sure," she nodded. "Thanks." She turned away from him and began walking toward the bathroom, then stopped right in front of the bathroom door and slipped off her robe.

Klaus had to push himself to stay calm. "I'm going to go now," he said. "You get washed up and I'll be downstairs."

"What?" She turned. "You mean you aren't going to come in with me?"

"I'd like to of course," he said. "I just didn't want to push."

She winked. "Go ahead and push all you want. It's not going hurt me at all."

"All right," he said and followed her into the bathroom. She stood facing the shower and turned it on. Klaus began rubbing her shoulders.

"I like that," she said. "So are you going to get undressed or not?"

"Oh, right," he said. "I forgot."

She grinned. "How could you forget? Especially since you don't have much to take off anyway?"

He grinned and turned her around. "I blame you," he said.

She pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked down at herself. "Well I think I'll take the blame this time," she said and watched intently as he undressed himself. She stuck her hand in the stream of water coming down from the shower spiggot. "I thnk that's warm enough now," she said and pulled him inside with her. For the longest time, they just stood there staring at one another while the hot water dripped down their bodies. He was watching her expectantly.

"What?" She grinned, then coughed and sneezed as a bit of water went up her nose.

He couldn't help laughing. "That was certainly sexy."

"Oh, I know," she said when she got her breath back. "It's delightful to have hot water go up your nose. It hurts, too." She bit her lip. "God, I'm bad at this."

"Bad at what?" He asked.

She gestured wildly around the whole shower. "This whole thing! I suck at it!"

"What?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting. "Showering?"

She laughed. "No, not showering. Being sexy. I try, but it just comes out seeming so, _so_ stupid. I'm making myself gag."

He kept his eyes on her. "Are you trying to seduce yourself?" He asked.

"No," she shook her head. "You, obviously."

He stared at her. "And? What's the problem?"

"Well," she said, "we aren't really doing anything, are we?"

"No," he said. "But you can change that, can't you? You were off to a great start for awhile there."

"Was I?" She asked.

"_Oh, _yes." He nodded.

A small grin curved her lips. "All right." She said. She reached up and grabbed soap and a loofah and began washing herself off, very thoroughly. She watched the look on his face the entire time. "Did you want to do this?" She asked.

"No," he shook his head. "You're doing...just fine..." his voice trailed off.

"What will I do now?" She asked as she put the loofah and the soap back in the caddy. The shower smelled vaguely of roses now. "Hmmm..."

She turned and looked at him. "Do _you_ have any ideas?" She asked, running her hands over him.

"Yes," he nodded. "As a matter of fact, I do..."

"Tell me," she said, her lips close to his ear. "Or I could show you what you're thinking. Would you like that?"

He watched her without speaking. He wanted to jump her so bad it was painful to keep himself still. But he had to let her finish. He had to let her show him what she could do.

She backed away from him for a moment and then pushed him back against the wall, kissing him deeply, balancing herself against the wall with one hand and stroking him with the other.

He growled and ran one hand down her back and put the other in her hair. "I hope you're proud of yourself," he whispered when she began kissing his neck. "You've ruined me."

She found his soap in the caddy. "Did you need to be washed?" She asked. "Or did you just come in here for the scenery?"

"I've never wanted to be clean so badly," he told her. She lathered up again and washed him slowly and deliberately. He closed his eyes, let himself relax. When she finished, it was all too quickly.

He turned the shower off and gazed at her. "You amaze me," he said. She grinned. "Please tell me you have more room to be surprised," she said. "This is nothing."

"But," he said, "You were so insecure and-what was _that_ all about?" She opened the shower door and stepped out. "I wanted to ease you into me," she said. "I thought I'd scare you off if I just dumped all my knowhow on you too quickly."

He shook his head. "You could _never_ scare me off," he said. "I'm not scared of anything. Now about easing me into you..."

She threw a towel at him. "Dry yourself off and then we'll see what we can do. We don't want to get the sheets wet."

* * *

><p>When they shut the bathroom door behind them, they found themselves staring at an empty bed, the sheets pulled aside as if waiting for them. He began nudging her toward it, but she resisted. "No," she said. "I have another idea."<p>

"You do?" He asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I mean if you _wanted _to do it here then I guess we _could_, but-"

"But what?" He asked, trying not to sound too eager.

She grinned and shook her head. "You'll see. Now, you still wanted to go hunting this morning, right?"

"Yes," he nodded.

She transformed and began circling him, then he changed too and followed him out the door.

* * *

><p>Astrid screamed at the sight of two wolves entering the kitchen. "Relax," Alistair said. "They do this sometimes. They aren't going to hurt us." However, he winced when Selina nipped his hand before they strode out the door. Once they were outside, they both took off running, side by side. They eventually ended up down by a river. It sounded almost musical as it ran over the rocks. There were no people around, just wild game. Selina ran down two deer and the two of them picked them clean. They came out of the woods to wash themselves off when they heard the singing. They saw Vanessa in the river, washing herself off. Selina growled and began running. Klaus wasn't far behind her, but whether he wanted to help her or stop her, he wasn't sure.<p>

"Well, well, well," Vanessa said, rising gracefully from the water as they approached her. "What have we here?"

Selina jumped her, but she disappeared and Selina's head hit rocks instead, blood began gashing from a cut in her forehead. She got back up again as if nothing had happened, trying to catch Vanessa two more times, but failing and hurting herself even more. After the second attempt, the blood flowed from the cuts on her body in more then just a trickle. She lay down, whimpering a little. Klaus got down beside her and began licking the blood away. Vanessa came and stood over them. "What is this?" She asked herself. "What's going on?"

Klaus locked eyes with her and slowly changed back. "Well," Vanessa said, amazed. "Look at you."

"Surprise," he said. "Did you know that your sister Enid and I know each other quite well?"

Vanessa stepped back a little. "You do?"

He nodded. "We do. And I know what that means for you."

An ugly look crossed over Vanessa's face. "Not necessarily," she said. She made a circle with her hand and a small knife appeared out of thin air. "This is pure silver," she said.

"You can't kill me," he said. "That was part of the deal."

"I know," Vanessa said. "But I can kill _her_," she looked down at Selina with distaste. "Whoever she is."

Klaus' eyes blazed as Vanessa almost negligently pushed the knife into Selina's side. She growled and whimpered.

"No!" He cried and threw himself over Selina as Vanessa pulled back for another thrust. "If you _ever_ do that again-"

"Why does it matter?" Vanessa asked him. "She's just a girl. There are thousands of others about. You can always get another one."

Klaus snatched the knife out of her hands and cut his wrist. The blood trickled into Selina's mouth and as Klaus watched, she swallowed. Her eyes opened and she got up, wobbly on her legs at first, but then standing firm. She growled again and charged. This time, she managed to pin Vanessa to the ground.

Klaus came and stood over both of them, reaching out one hand to stroke Selina's fur. "I can't get another one," he said. "There's no point, because I love_ this_ one."


	49. An Odyssey

Vanessa sneered. "Love? You don't know how! You told me that you never _wanted_ to love."  
>He nodded. "Well, people can change their minds."<br>Vanessa rolled her eyes. "I just don't believe this. You think you can count on somebody..."  
>Selina got up again and rushed her, but this time, she managed to knock her to the ground and rip her throat out. Slowly, Vanessa's body dissolved and then she appeared again in front of them. "I was waiting for someone to do that," she said. "I'm at full power now. I can do whatever I want. And don't think I won't."<br>She disappeared and Klaus looked down at Selina who had come over and was nuzzling him.  
>"I hope you realize what you just did," he said to her. "I think we're in trouble."<br>She transformed back and they began walking away from the stream. "Did you see me take her?" Selina asked. "That was such a rush!"  
>"And as usual, ignoring the rest of what she said," Klaus rolled his eyes.<br>"You mean about her doing whatever she wanted to us?" Selina shrugged. "I'm not worried."  
>"You don't know what she's going to do," Klaus countered. "It'll be bad. Really bad."<br>"What's she got against me anyway?" Selina asked.  
>"It's not just you," he said. "She's done it every time she thinks I've been too close with one particular woman."<br>"But why?" Selina asked. "You have as much right to say what you said as the next person."  
>He shrugged. "I have no idea."<br>"There has to be a reason," Selina pressed. "We should figure out what that is."  
>He turned. "True, but first, you did promise me certain things..."<br>"We're in the middle of nowhere," she said.  
>He shrugged. "So?"<br>They continued walking until they spotted an abandoned car on the side of the road. "Huh," Selina said. "How strange." She got in and he sat next to her. They began driving toward civilization under clear skies, but when they reached the highway, it began to rain and thunder heavily.  
>"I can't see a thing!" Selina cried.<br>"There's a covered bridge up ahead," he said. "Go through there and it'll give you a chance to get your bearings!" But when they got inside the bridge, they saw that the road on the other side, which was primarily dirt, had been washed out by the storm.  
>"So we're stuck in here," Selina said.<br>He put his arms around her. "Here's as good a place as any," he said. "And we'll need _something_ to occupy our time."  
>She kissed him. "I guess you're right," she said. "But it looks like there's more room in the trunk..."<br>While they made love, lightning suddenly struck the bridge, destroying the fragile structure and sending their car tumbling into the water.

* * *

><p>Klaus was lost in himself, remembering a time long ago, one of the last times Vanessa had shown herself to him. It had been during the seventeenth century, and he had been living in Paris at the time, during one summer when the court of Louis XIV had taken leave of Versailles to escape the heat. He'd wandered away from a party with one of the noblewomen he'd taken a liking to. Her name was Therese and even the Sun King himself had noticed their relationship and suggested a marriage between the two, considering the match sound.<br>"You don't want to be chasing a girl like that around mazes forever," Louis had said to him. "Keep her."  
>So, they'd planned a wedding. Strangely, although Therese had been a brunette, she now had Selina's features, her eyes, her hair, her smile. On the eve of their wedding, she'd suggested a swim in the sea under the moonlight. They'd snuck out, and after removing their clothes, waded out into the depths.<br>They'd had fun for awhile, but eventually, he realized that they were far enough out that he could no longer see the shoreline.  
>He told her that they would have to turn back.<br>She just laughed at him and stepped further and further out. Then, she stepped wrong and her head disappeared under the water. He waited for her to resurface, which she did eventually, but her eyes were wide and frightened. She struggled to keep her head above water. He could hear her choking, her screams as she fought to stay afloat, the desperation in her voice as she called out to him to save her...  
>He opened his eyes. He was underwater. Waves were churning all around him. He swam upward and managed to resurface. He looked around for Selina, but he couldn't see her anywhere. Then, he heard her shrilly screaming his name. Or rather, once her voice had been shrill. Now it was just hoarse from use. He saw a dark shape struggling in the waves and swam toward it, grabbing her around the waist.<br>She spat up a bunch of water and clung tightly to him. By the time he'd guided her back to shore and plopped her down on dry land, she was shivering and tears were flowing from her eyes.  
>"I can't swim," she said. She looked up at him for a moment, Then pulled herself up again, kissing him desperately. "Thank you," she said, kissing him once and then three times more. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..."<p>

He held on to her. "It's all right," he said.

She nodded and pulled away. "So what do we do now?" She asked. "We've lost the car."

They looked up at the rain that was still falling from the sky. "We need to find some place to stay," he said.

"How are we going to do that?" Selina coughed. "We're in the middle of nowhere!"

"It'll take time," he said, "but we'll find a place, I promise."

She nodded because there was nothing else to do, and they transformed and began roving around, looking for shelter. Eventually, they came upon an abandoned farm and Klaus led Selina inside the barn. They both shook the water out of their fur and changed back.

"You're shaking again," he observed.

"Yes," her teeth were chattering too. "I'm cold, I'm wet and I'm naked." She sighed. "At least we're out of the rain now. Even if this _is _a barn, and who knows how clean it is?" She sighed. "I guess I don't care though. I'm just so tired..."

Klaus looked up. "The loft would probably be our best bet," he said. "Do you think you can climb up?"

Selina looked up. "I suppose, but I'll tell you right now that I'm going to pass out the second I reach the top."

"That's all right," he said. "We just need to get you up there."

Sighing, she managed to climb up to the loft and sure enough collapsed when she reached it. She lay there for a few minutes, breathing hard.

Klaus followed her up, gently pushing her aside so that he'd have room to get into the loft himself. Then he picked her up and carried her to the corner furthest away from the ladder.

She moaned.

"I'll go back down and get blankets," he whispered. "There have to be some around here." He found some in short order and then went back up with them and tucked them tightly around her, her ragged breathing quieting as she stopped shivering. Then, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I hope you're proud of yourself," she said. "You've ruined me."

"Why?" He asked. "What did I do?"

"You've rescued me," she said. "Again and again. I've never needed to be rescued before."

He took her hand. "Alistair showed me your life once," he said. "And it seems to me like you've needed to be rescued a lot over the years, but there's been no one around to do it."

"That's true," Selina nodded. "I _have _been on my own a lot in my life."

He moved in beside her and began running a hand through her hair. "We'll stay here tonight," he said. "Maybe things will be drier in the morning."

* * *

><p>When Selina opened her eyes again, sun was creeping through the windows of the barn. It wasn't raining. She looked at Klaus beside her and nudged him gently. "It's not raining anymore," she whispered.<p>

He opened his eyes. "Well that will certainly make things easier. At least for now. I don't doubt that Vanessa is going to send another storm later on." Selina nodded and began climbing down the ladder. "I agree," she said. "So we should make a run for it while we still can."

They walked out of the barn hand in hand. "You know," Selina said, "this whole experience has taught me something: no more exotic dates for us. They just lead to trouble."

"Actually," Klaus countered, "it was probably you attacking Vanessa that caused the problem."

"Oh, I don't think so," Selina shook her head. "I think it was what _you_ said to her that set her off."

"I don't think it was what I said to her," Klaus said. "I think it was the fact that she knew I meant it."

He was looking her straight in the eye. He wasn't grinning or smirking. He was actually serious.

"Really?" She asked. "You really meant that? I mean, you don't think I'm too easy, or that you're going to get bored with me in a couple of days?"

"No," he shook his head. "I don't think so. You're too complex for me to _ever_ be bored."

She blushed a little. "Well...thanks, I guess. And thanks for thinking that I was worth saving." She looked at him in silence for a moment. She knew that there was something she should say, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd actually said it to a guy and genuinely meant it. And to be saying it to _Klaus _of all people-

She took a deep breath. "I love you too," she said quickly, before she could change her mind. "I don't care if you think it's stupid, I don't care if you laugh at me, I love you too." She'd kept her head down during her confession, but now she looked up at him, met his eyes. He looked stunned. "Really?" He asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "Really! Now that we've all confessed our love and saved each other from death and blah, blah, blah, could we just...come back to ourselves, please? I mean, you don't _like_ being this nice to me, do you?"

"Are you suggesting," he asked, "that we kill someone or something to get back in the proper mindset of things?"

She shrugged. "I suppose. But only one. Not a whole bunch."

So they shifted one last time and began looking for someone, anyone at all. Eventually, they found a woman who'd gotten lost in the woods, hunted her down and finished her off. Then they left the woods and went in search of their next place to stay. Much to Selina's surprise, they found Pete's bar again. She nudged the door open and strode inside. Everyone in the bar watched them intently.

Enid was the first to approach them. "Well, don't the two of you look like you've been through hell?" She observed.

Selina whimpered and Enid led her to her apartments above the club.

"Am I wrong when I think you could use a soak?" Enid asked her after she changed back. Selina stuck her hands under the warm water and nearly burst into tears again. "Thank you!" she said and then climbed into the bath, breathing contentedly. "And I'll get you some clothes too," Enid said. "I think we're the same size." When she came back with them and stuck them on the toilet tank, she said to Selina, "So what happened to you two?"

"Oh,"Selina sighed. "We were out and about and had a little run in with Vanessa. She tried to kill me and nearly succeeded just because Klaus told her he loved me and wouldn't be chasing random bimbos around anymore."

Enid's eyes widened. "He told you he loved you? Did you say it back?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "And then Vanessa called up all these storms and I almost drowned in a lake and had to spend the night in a barn." Selina peered at Enid. "Why does your sister want to kill me? There has to be a reason."

"There is," Enid said darkly. "A long time ago, when Hazel, Vanessa and I were girls, our father told us that when we became older, he would pick one of us to be the next one to rule our tribe after him, and that the one he picked would have to accomplish something fantastic. So the three of us worked our whole young lives to decided what to do. Hazel decided to stay within our magical tribe, becoming more learned in the art of spellcasting than even our father was. I decided I wanted to see the world and live and love, but something about me made it impossible to have long relationships with men, so I followed some advice I'd once heard about how loyal dogs were. I turned every man who ever wronged me into something dog-like, spawning the werewolf race. After their transformations, the men who'd wronged me became extremely devoted. And they turned others, so I eventually found myself in the company of a very large group of devotees. Eventually, Vanessa got jealous and well, you know what _she_ did."

Selina nodded.

"But what she didn't know was the secret about Niklaus' true parentage."

"That his father was a werewolf," Selina nodded. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Shortly before the creation of vampires, Hazel had a vision that her race and Vanessa's were eventually going to be overrun by a member of mine who fell in love with someone just as powerful as him. They would spawn a race of superbeings that would bring them into a position of unquestionable power in a new world order."

"So," Selina said, "Hazel saw that Klaus and I are going to have babies that are going to destroy the world."

"Not everything," Enid said quickly. "Or even everyone. Just those who refuse to give allegiance to you, or who are useless."

"Wow," Selina said.

"And that's why Vanessa's been chasing you," Enid finished.

"So I won't give birth to any demon babies?"

Enid nodded. "I'll leave you to your bath now." She left the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

"When Selina comes downstairs," she said to Pete who was tending bar, "Don't, under _any _circumstances, give her anything with alcohol in it."

Pete picked up a damp beer glass and began drying it. "Why?"

"Because she's pregnant," Enid said, eyes twinkling. "About a month along. She won't realize it herself for another two."

"Then how do _you _know?" Pete said. "If you don't mind my asking."

"I have my ways," Enid said. "Why else would Vanessa be so eager to see her dead?"

* * *

><p>After Selina had washed up and dressed, she went downstairs and sat at the bar. Klaus was playing pool in the corner. "Rum and Coke, please," she said to Pete.<p>

"How about cranberry juice?" he asked, plunking it down in front of her.

"Does it have vodka in it?" She asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "You shouldn't drink," he said. "It's bad for you."

She grinned. "You're a bartender. It's your job to _encourage_ people to drink."

"I do encourage people," Pete said. "I just think you need to have juice for a little while."

Selina rolled her eyes. "Okay," she rolled her eyes, picked up her cranberry juice and sauntered over to the pool table. "Apparently I'm not allowed to drink anymore," she said to Klaus, taking a healthy swig.

"Why?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. But I found out from Enid why Vanessa wants me dead. So I don't give birth to our superbabies, who will then take over the world and kill everyone who we don't like while we rule over everyone else."

He turned slowly to face her. "Our babies and I are going to rule the world some day? I like that plan." He grinned. "What do you say we get started?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I am _not _giving birth to any demon babies."

He began nibbling on her ear. "Please?"

"What are you two talking about?" Enid asked, coming up behind them.

"Selina just told me why Vanessa tried to kill her," Klaus said. "I found it very interesting."

Enid grinned. "I thought you would."

"Why didn't Pete let me have an actual drink?" Selina asked. "You need to talk to him about that."

"I asked him not to give you anything, actually," Enid said.

"Why?" Selina asked.

"You'll see," Enid told her. "You'll see."

"You know what would be funny?" Klaus said, putting a hand around her waist. "If you were pregnant already."

Selina squeezed her eyes shut. "Don't even say that," she said. "I'm not ready."


	50. Phoenix

After resting a little longer at the bar, they headed back home and got inside the door of Doctor Stensrund's just as the next storm began. "That was lucky," Selina said as she watched rain fall down the windows in sheets. "Where do you think everyone is?"

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know."

"We're home!" She called. "It took about a million years, but we're home!"

Still, no response.

Selina shrugged. "All right, I'm going to go take another soak."

"I'll come with you," he said.

"No," she shook her head. "You go check on Rusty, please. He doesn't do so well when it storms."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. He's just as bad as I am."

"What do you mean?" Selina asked.

"Well, you got him from Anna, didn't you?"

Selina nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"Exactly," Klaus said. "Which means he used to be a person, and a particularly nerdy one, I believe. Not the kind of man who would have beautiful women falling all over him. But I think he's realized that if he acts afraid during storms, you'll pity him and touch him and stuff and he just wants attention from you."

"So?" Selina shrugged. "How's that different than what you do?"

Klaus crossed his arms. "It just is, that's all."

Selina laughed. "Don't tell me you're jealous of the dog."

"Of course not," Klaus said. "Why would I be jealous of a _dog_?"

Selina shrugged. "Don't ask me to explain to you how your mind works." She paused. "Well, as fun as this conversation is, I'm going to go for my soak now. Don't forget to check on Rusty!"

* * *

><p>She reached the bathroom with the jacuzzi tub and something strange immediately met her ears: the sound of splashing and giggling coming from behind the bathroom door. Pulling her bathrobe tighter around her, she strode to the door and knocked. "What's going on in there?" She called. Then there was the sound of someone getting out of the tub. A moment later, Alistair peeked his head around the door. "Oh," he said. "Hi."<p>

"Hi," she said, stepping back a little. "Enjoying your evening?"

"Yes," he nodded. "We didn't know when to expect you back, so-"

"What's going on?" Astrid called. "Should we get out now?"

"Oh, no," Selina called back. "You two go ahead and take your time. It's nice to see you're enjoying yourselves." She watched Alistair close the door and then slowly backed out of the room, shutting the door behind her, jumping when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry," Klaus said quickly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh," she shrugged. "Don't worry about it. You didn't. I just had the strangest experience in the bathroom. Well, actually I didn't even make it _in _to the bathroom, which is probably a good thing."

"You look very dry for someone who said they were just going to take a bath," Klaus said.

"Alistair and Astrid were in my tub," Selina said. "I didn't want to interrupt them any more then I already did."

"_What?_" Klaus asked, looking surprised. "Alistair and Astrid are in the jacuzzi tub having sex? Who'd have thought it? I wondered if he just kept her around because she's pretty, but apparently there's more to it."

"Anyway," Selina said, changing the subject. "Did you check on Rusty like I asked you to?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded.

"And?" Selina said.

"And he's as scared as ever," Klaus said. "Come and have a look.

Selina nodded and followed him to their bedroom.

* * *

><p>A clap of thunder rang out. Rusty whimpered and hid under the bed, refusing to come out.<br>Selina sighed. "He can't stay under there all night," she told Klaus. "But how are we going to get him out?"  
>Eventually, she managed to get him out from under the bed and carry him into the kitchen.<br>"Seems like we have everything under control," Klaus said. "Are you coming to bed?"  
>Selina nodded. "Yeah, sure. Just a minute."<br>He went back to their room and waited. And waited. And waited. But she never came. Finally, he went back into the living room and found her asleep on the living room sofa, wearing pink and black plaid pajama pants and a pink shirt with skulls on it that said "Badass." She had a sleeping Rusty curled under her arm.  
>He rolled his eyes and went back to bed.<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning, Klaus found Selina in the kitchen making pancakes. "You want any?" She asked. She'd pulled her hair back in a ponytail.<br>"Sure," he said. "Why didn't you come to bed last night?"  
>"Rusty was scared of the storm and the only way I could keep him calm was staying with him while he was asleep."<br>"What if I'd been scared of the storm?" He asked.  
>She rolled her eyes. "You're a person. You have complete control over that sort of thing. Rusty is a dog. He doesn't."<br>Klaus left the kitchen for a moment and then came back transformed, nuzzling againt her hip.  
>"That," she said, severely, shaking the spatula at him, "doesn't count."<p>

He bumped against her again.

"You know," Selina said, "when you look like that, it doesn't have the same effect. You're much more attractive as a person."

He cocked his head and gazed at her for a moment, then left to go change back, appearing in the kitchen a few moments later, wearing only a pair of shorts.

She looked him over thoroughly. "You really don't like to dress, do you?" She asked.

"Well," he asked, "do _you_ like it when I dress?"

"No," she said immediately. "Not really."

He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the guest bathroom near the kitchen. "We can't do this now," she protested. "The pancakes are going to burn!"

Klaus quickly opened the bathroom door, seeing that Alistair was coming toward the kitchen. "Hey," he called, "would you watch Selina's pancakes so they don't burn?" He asked.

"Sure," Alistair nodded. "I'll do that."

Klaus shut the door. "See? Problem solved."

"This is a _bathroom,"_ Selina said. "I'm not doing it in a bathroom. Now that Alistair's watching the pancakes, can we go somewhere else?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine." He pulled her into their bedroom, shutting the door behind her. He immediately began kissing her neck.

"So," she asked, "are we going to cover all our bases this time?"

"No," he said. "I just want to touch."

"Okay," she said. He pulled off her shirt and began running his hands over her breasts, capturing her mouth with his. She moaned and threw her arms around his neck. A short while later, Alistair yelled that the pancakes were ready. Selina and Klaus quickly pulled apart and Selina put her shirt back on. "We'll finish the rest later," Klaus assured her as they made their way back to the kitchen.

"Feeling better, you two?" Alistair asked, giving them a knowing look.

"As good as you did last night," Klaus nodded and Selina elbowed him in the gut. "So," she said, "Rusty seems to be much better today."

"Yes," Astrid nodded, taking a sip of her tea. "The poor thing was so scared last night."

"Let me guess," Klaus said dryly, "You took pity on him too, didn't you?"

"Of course," Astrid said. "I would never let an innocent animal suffer." She gave Selina a look. "What's the matter with him?"

"He thinks that because Rusty was a particularly nerdy human, he's now taking advantage of the fact that he's a cute animal and using that fact to be cuddled by beautiful women," Selina said dryly."

Astrid giggled. "That's ridiculous!"

"I _know,_" Selina said. "Isn't it just though?" She began shoveling pancakes onto plates, taking one for herself and giving Klaus the other.

As they ate, Rusty sauntered into the dining room and parked himself next to Selina's chair, whimpering at her.

"No," Selina said firmly. "Pancakes aren't for you."

He whimpered some more and lay his head against her leg.

"No," Selina repeated. When he didn't move, she put down her fork, picked him up and carried him into the bedroom, locking the door. When she came back, Klaus was grinning.

"What are you so happy about?" She asked.

"You certainly showed _him_." Klaus said.

"Yes, well," Selina nodded. "Sometimes you just have to be firm with people and animals and let them know that they can't just have whatever they want. No matter how cute they are."

"Unless," Alistair said, giving her a look, "they're sneaky and know exactly what to say and do to get you to give in."

"You know what, Alistair?" Selina said, giving him a look. "It's taken me awhile to realize this, but giving in isn't as bad as I thought. I mean, we both get something from it, don't we? I shouldn't feel ashamed because I have wants and needs like everybody else."

"Exactly," Klaus said. "I completely agree. Speaking of wants and needs..."

Selina took a last bite of pancakes and shoved her plate away. "We were speaking of that, weren't we?" She asked.

They both took off back to their bedroom.

"Now," Klaus said between kisses as he pulled off her shirt again. "Where were we?" Rusty had run out the door the second they'd opened it.

"I don't know," Selina said.

He ran his hands down her back and over her butt.

She pulled away for a minute. "What," she asked, "is this fascination you have with my ass?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Well, I do, but do you honestly want me to stand here listing the merits of your ass when we could be doing other things?"

"No," Selina said quickly. "It's okay. I was just curious."

Eventually they made their way to the bed and were enthusiastically exploring one another when Klaus realized something. Pulling away from her, he gazed down into her eyes.

"What?" She asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he shook his head. He dressed quickly and ran back out to the kitchen. "Alistair, I have something I need to ask y-" He broke off when he saw that Hazel was sitting next to Alistair at the kitchen table. "When did she get here?"

"Just now," Hazel said, looking at him with disfavor. "What did you want?"

"Would you come with me for a moment?" Klaus asked Alistair.

Alistair started to rise, but Hazel put a hand on his arm. "What is it?"

"I just wondered if he would help Selina, but-"

"What does she need?" Alistair asked, wincing at the grip Hazel had on his arm.

"Well," Klaus said, glancing sourly at Hazel. "Now that she and her sister have the idea in their heads to kill Selina, could you make it so that can't happen?"

"You mean," Alistair said, "make it so she can't die?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Just like me. You can do that, can't you?"

"No," Hazel snapped. "He can't. And even if he _could_, I wouldn't allow it. It upsets the natural order of things. As for you, you're an abomination."

"Yes, and you're a hateful, ugly, shrewish old bat," Klaus countered. "But let's keep our opinions of each other's characters to ourselves, shall we?"

Hazel's eyes widened. "You idiot!" She whispered, her voice shaking. "You _dare _insult me? Don't you realize what I can do to you and those you love? Especially with Selina in the condition she's in right now, I wouldn't think you'd want to risk it. But apparently, you're making my job easier than I thought."

Astrid's eyes widened. "The condition that she's in? Is she pregnant?"

"Yes," Hazel said, her eyes full of hatred.

Klaus' eyes widened. "What? Really?"

Hazel nodded moodily, glaring at Alistair and Astrid. "Why are you two happy about this?"

"Is that wrong?" Astrid asked.

"Yes!" Hazel said. "This man has enslaved you for hundreds of years. Why are you celebrating the continuation of his line?"

"Saying he's _enslaved_ me is a bit strong," Alistair said. "Of course it seemed like that in the beginning, but over time, we've reached an understanding, and if I may say, I think I got the better part of the deal. They wouldn't be able to run their lives at all if I wasn't around."

"So you're saying that you're _happy_ to be here like this?" Hazel choked out.

"Yes," Alistair said. "I am. So you really have no reason to stay. And please, no coming back to hurt anyone here."

"But you do realize that their child is going to enslave all of our kind and take over the world," Hazel said.

"I doubt that," Alistair said. "You don't know them as well as I do, and honestly, I don't think that's going to happen."

Klaus smirked. "Oh, we'll see about that..."

They stared at him. "I mean," he said, "We'll watch out for people, I promise."

Hazel gave Astrid and Alistair one last despairing look and disappeared.

"Well," Alistair said, "this is good. Enid's on your side, Hazel's going to leave you alone. That only leaves-"

"Vanessa," Klaus and Alistair finished.

"You need to get away from here," Astrid said. "Maybe if Vanessa has no idea where you are, she won't be able to hurt you."

"That's not a bad idea," Klaus said. He went back to find Selina, who was still waiting expectantly in their bed. "Get dressed," he said. "And pack whatever you can. We're leaving."

"What?" Selina asked, sitting up. "Why?"

"Because I don't want Vanessa coming after us anymore and it'll be safer if we leave."

"All right," Selina said. "I'll be along in a minute." Confused, she dressed and began throwing stuff into bags. When she had hold of all she could carry, she brought it out to the front hall. "I've got my stuff," she said. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know," Klaus said. "But it'll be far from here, that's for certain." They took all their bags and packed them away. Selina grabbed Rusty and put him in her lap after she climbed in next to Klaus. He sat clutching the steering wheel and eyeing the house. "What?" Selina asked.

"We need to burn the house down," he said.

"What?" Selina asked, shocked, nearly losing her grip on Rusty.

"We need to burn the house down," he repeated. "You stay here."

He went to talk to Alistair and then the two of them set about dousing the house with gasoline and then setting it alight. When Klaus got back to the car, he was carrying some of Selina's old dresses that she insisted be saved from the inferno. Klaus got back in the car and as they began driving away, Selina watched Doctor Stensrund's house, the house where she'd begun her life as a vampire, burn to the ground. She didn't know where she was going, or what the future would bring, but tomorrow was another day.

A/n: And the story continues with: Dark Angel 2: Devil Or Angel


End file.
